


Amanda's Discovery

by HiddenDreamer67



Category: Original Work, Sanders Sides (Web Series), The Borrowers - All Media Types
Genre: Borrowers - Freeform, G/T, Giant/Tiny, Infinitesimal!Sides, TINY - Freeform, borrower, borrower!logan, borrower!patton, borrower!roman, borrower!virgil, infinitesimal, tinies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-02-28 06:32:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 32,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18750949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenDreamer67/pseuds/HiddenDreamer67
Summary: A college student who’s always been enchanted by the idea of tiny people is in for a surprise when she discovers four have been living in her dorm room walls.  Borrowers Roman, Logan, Virgil, and Patton have been acting as a less-than-functional family ever since their parents left the picture. Featuring youngest brother Patton who cannot wait to go borrowing, Second youngest Virgil who is banned from borrowing ever since his anxiety attacks nearly got them caught, second eldest Logan who questions every rule he has ever been taught, and eldest brother Roman who is just doing his best to keep his brothers in line without murdering them in the process.





	1. A Late-Night Discovery

Amanda groaned, rubbing at her eyes before turning back to her computer screen, the only source of light in the room. A brief glance at the clock told her she was nearing 4:00 am, with no end in sight.

 _Why does programming have to be so frustrating?_  She thought to herself, her frown deepening as she waited for the program to compile on a machine that was slower than dirt.

Amanda reached over, finding she needed a break from the constant pop music playing through her headphones to keep the teen awake. She paused her phone, removing the headphones and rubbing at her sore ears. The device hurt her eardrums, and at this rate Amanda feared she’d go deaf by 30. Of course, it was better than playing the music aloud and waking up the building. Amanda had to be the only one crazy enough to still be awake at this hour.

She froze, a quiet scratching like noise catching her attention. Was there…? Oh good lord, her dorm room didn’t have  _mice_ , did it? Amanda didn’t even know the protocol for such a thing. Why was she always the one to get stuck in these situations?

Then again, it could just be her suite-mate getting up to use the bathroom. This second theory was proven false when Amanda didn’t hear the accompanying sound of running water.

So, mice it is then. Or at the very least, Amanda knew she wasn’t alone in her room. Amanda shuddered at the thought. She hated pests, ever since her childhood home had a bad bug infestation a few years back.

The sounds began to get closer. Amanda tensed, sensing that the creature was nearing the rim of light. A small shadow appeared on the wall next to her, and Amanda’s eyes widened as it became a distinct shape. Humanoid in appearance, but only a few inches tall.

“…no way…” Amanda breathed softly, entranced by the shape. A  _borrower_. But…it couldn’t be, could it? That was just something in fairy tales and children’s books. As much as Amanda so desperately wanted it to be real, it simply wasn’t possible.

Amanda whipped her head around anyways, trying to get a glimpse of whatever was causing the shadow, but her eyes couldn’t make out anything in the darkness. There was more of that scurrying sound again though. Turning back to get another look at the shadow, Amanda jumped in surprise. The shadow had vanished. If anything was there, it was gone now.

“…ooookay, time for bed.” Amanda said decidedly, closing her laptop. Hallucinating tinies was probably a good sign her brain needed sleep.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. Amanda couldn’t get the vision out of her head. It plagued her dreams, forcing her to wonder if it truly was a figment of her imagination. Against all logical though, Amanda _desperately_  wanted the tiny people to be real. Ever since she had read the children’s books as a little girl Amanda was enthralled by the idea of borrowers, and now Amanda found herself fascinated by the idea of both giant and tiny figures.

In the morning, deciding she couldn’t take this anymore, Amanda took a careful look around her dorm room. Where she thought the shadow came from was a discarded chip bag, but Amanda could not remember if that was empty before. She moved her furniture around and ran her fingers along the wall, gently feeling for any secret entrances.

“Oh, this is ridiculous.” Amanda muttered to herself, her back beginning to ache from arching it while she crawled around on her hands and knees. “As if I would really get so lucky as to find a tiny person in-”

Amanda froze, the rest of her sentence trailing off. For just then, her fingers had indented into the wall. The gentle pressure she applied had moved the drywall, indicating a small carved out hole that looked far too planned to be an accident.

“…no way.” Amanda’s voice was no higher than a whisper, the student getting down on her stomach to investigate further. She gently pulled on the section, trying to get it to swing out instead. Her larger fingers found the task difficult but eventually she succeeded. Amanda peered into the darkness, eyes adjusting to the dim light. There was a tunnel beyond, quickly turning a corner so Amanda could not see.

“No way.” Amanda repeated, her eyes wide.  _Borrowers are real._ But…what should she do with this information? Should she tell someone? Well, the borrowers probably wouldn’t thank her for that. Should she try to trap one? Amanda winced. Yeah, they probably wouldn’t thank her for that either. But none of the borrower stories Amanda had read dealt with this sort of problem. How did one go about befriending a known borrower without scaring them off? For all Amanda knew, they could already be moving away because of her.

Amanda considered leaving a gift, but after thinking back to the stories she read the girl remembered this was a bad idea. She wouldn’t want to offend or scare the borrowers. No, as much as it pained her to admit it, there wasn’t anything she could do right now. All Amanda could do was pretend that she hadn’t seen anything, keep a careful eye out, and hope she caught sight of them again one day.

Amanda groaned, pushing the wall back into place and rearranging her room. This was going to take forever. How was she going to be able to act like everything was normal with this knowledge constantly plaguing her mind? Not to mention, now all Amanda wanted to do was befriend and help them.

…well, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get a _little_  more forgetful with her belongings. And if she just happened to leave out a whole meal from time to time, guess her borrower just got lucky for once with such a clumsy human.

Amanda grinned, now getting excited as she began to brainstorm other ways to ‘accidentally’ help. She could leave out her med kit more often, perhaps even lay it open and on its side so the contents spilled onto the floor. Gosh, she was just  _sooo_ clumsy today… and what’s this? An entire stack of office supplies? How could that possibly have fallen into a neat pile underneath her desk? Wow, what were the odds.

Amanda smiled to herself, giving one last look at her handiwork before grabbing her bag and heading to class. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.


	2. Fun Family Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a typical morning at the Sanders’ hole in the wall.

“Alright, everyone up!” Roman went around pounding on his brother’s bedroom doors, making sure they were awake. “Fun family breakfast time! It’s already mid-morning, we’re wasting the day away.”

“One additional hour of sleep will not be unbeneficial.” Logan’s voice groaned from down the hall.

“C’mon nerd, we’ve all had a late borrowing session before.” Roman rolled his eyes. “Suck it up.”

“I haven’t!” Patton spoke up, appearing behind Roman. The eldest jumped, turning around to face Patton with his hand on his chest.

“Don’t scare me like that, Pat.” Roman warned his youngest brother. Patton only giggled.

“I’ve been practicing my sneaking.” Patton informed him. “I want to be the best borrower someday.”

“Yes, wonderful.” Roman patted him on the head. “But let’s save the sneaking for the human beans, hmm?”

“What a preposterous notion.” Logan mumbled, stumbling out of his bedroom with serious bed hair. “One cannot simply ‘save up’ a skill like it is a resource. It must be practiced over time.”

“Logan’s been teaching me.” Patton explained.

“I see.” Roman gave a strained smile. “While perhaps Logan should remember it would be best for everyone if he ran things by me first.”

“Perhaps Roman would like to remember he is not my father.” Logan retorted.

“Do not undermine my authority like this.” Roman’s voice got deadly quiet. Logan met his gaze, looking undeterred.

Patton stood between his brothers, looking back and forth between them trying to figure out if they were going to start fighting again. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time, but the thought still made Patton’s heart ache.

“H-hey, how about we get some breakfast?” Patton suggested. He rushed to the kitchen, already pulling out plates.

“Yes, let’s.” Roman straightened up, painting on another smile before walking down the hall as well.

“Virgil, breakfast.” Logan called, knocking on the last bedroom door.

“I heard.” There was a muffled response.

“…then why are you not already present?” Logan raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah yeah, I’m coming.” Virgil finally stepped out of his bedroom, looking worse than usual.

“Are you alright?” Logan gave his younger brother a concerned glance. Virgil had large bags under his eyes, a sure sign he was exhausted. “Did you sleep at all?”

“I’m  _fine_.” Virgil insisted, shoving past him. “It’s not like I left my bed.”

“Well, that was not what I was implying, although admittedly your statement makes me suspicious.” Logan shrugged, following in his footsteps.

“Hey, where did this chip come from?” Patton asked, holding up a potato chip the size of his torso. As primary ‘cook’, Patton didn’t recognize it.

“I didn’t get it.” Roman frowned. Logan had not reported it to Roman either. Roman looked over, noticing the way Virgil had tensed. “…Virgil?”

“What?” Virgil snapped, more harshly than intended.

“Did you go out borrowing?” Roman narrowed his gaze.

“Why the hell would I go borrowing?” Virgil scrunched up his shoulders, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. “I know the rules.”

“Yes, but you all seem to have a blatant disregard for them.” Roman turned his glare to Logan.

Logan cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. “I…Virgil, there are a  _few_  rules that have logical implications…perhaps I was misunderstood.”

“See now I’m confused, Lo.” Virgil gave an evil smirk. “What then did you mean exactly when you called Roman a tyrannical buffoon?”

“Logan!” Roman made a noise of offense.

“I do not recall iterating such a statement.” Logan quickly deflected the comment, focusing on cleaning off his tiny spectacles.

“I think Virgil should be allowed to go out.” Patton offered. “I mean, c’mon, Virgil knows to be careful.”

“This is not a personal attack against Virgil.” Roman reminded him, looking sympathetic. “Virgil is just…not the best under pressure.”

That was putting it lightly. Back when Logan and Roman were first trying to teach Virgil how to borrow, Virgil was prone to anxiety attacks. He would freeze in place, unable to run or hide like a good borrower should. Or worse yet, sometimes his attacks would lead to him making noises as he panted or gasped or, lord forbid, _screamed_.

It was because of how poorly Virgil’s training went that the brothers kept putting off taking Patton out. Though the youngest was far past the borrowing age, Roman was doing everything he could to keep them all safe. Indeed, if Roman had his way Logan wouldn’t go borrowing either. Unfortunately Roman had to admit that feeding four borrowers was too large a task for one person. Besides, a part of Roman knew he could not stop Logan from borrowing if he tried.

“But Virgil’s gotten better!” Patton insisted. “I’ve seen him, he’s been practicing too. And if you don’t want him to go alone…I could always assist him.”

“Nice try, Padre.” Roman chuckled, seeing Patton’s plan. Patton’s returned smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Face it, Pat.” Virgil grumbled. “We’re gonna die in these walls.”

“Virgil, don’t say such a thing!” Patton gasped.

“You’re just being dramatic.” Roman scolded.

“Well, given the circumstances it would not be an unreasonable hypothesis.” Logan reasoned.

“Whose side are you on?!” Roman whirled around to face him.

“Are you asking for my opinion?” Logan asked, putting his hand to his chest. “Are those accepted now?”

Roman was fuming, and it would not be a surprise if steam began to come out of his ears.

“Er…what’s your opinion, Logan?” Patton prompted, not wanting a fight to break out before breakfast. He quickly broke up the chip, handing pieces out to each brother. It was clear someone had gotten it the night before, as it was not yet stale.

“I think it would be beneficial to restart Virgil’s training.” Logan explained. “When we attempted it before, Roman was young and naive.”

“So were you.” Virgil reminded him, keeping Logan humble.

“…yes.” Logan admitted. “However, now we have several years of borrower knowledge to impart. That, combined with our knowledge of your condition, should allow us to properly instruct you this time.”

“I don’t need more instruction, I just need to not be kept under lock and key all the time.” Virgil rolled his eyes, his mouth speaking faster than he could process what he was saying. “I did just fine last night.”  **** _I was hardly seen._  Virgil knew enough to keep that bit of information to himself.

“Aha!” Roman pointed an accusing finger at Virgil. “I knew you snuck out!”

“Oh sh-” Virgil slapped his hand over his mouth.

“If you do not respect the rules of this household, you certainly cannot be trusted to respect the rules of a borrower.” Roman decreed. “And because of this, I forbid you from continuing your training.”

“You already forbade him from that.” Logan reminded him.

“Well-! Then you’re grounded!” Roman tried again.

“Isn’t Virgil already grounded?” Patton piped up. “I mean, he is confined to the house.”

“Double grounded!” Roman corrected. “Grounded to your room!”

“Oh, good.” Virgil stormed back down the hall. “I thought my prison couldn’t get any smaller.”

The three heard a slamming of a bedroom door, Virgil making sure to project his stomping loud enough for everyone to hear.

“…fun family breakfast time.” Patton said half-heartedly.


	3. The First Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waiting around for a month, Amanda decides to write a note to the borrower in her dorm room.

* * *

Amanda couldn’t be happier when the office supplies started gradually disappearing. It began with a single paper clip, then a handful of staples. It had taken what felt like  _weeks_  to even get that far, and all this waiting was driving her insane. Some nights she’d come home to notice the pile was significantly smaller, and other nights her room would appear completely untouched. It was as if the borrower couldn’t make up their mind. Did they want her stuff or not?

That did bring up an interesting dilemma though. Surely there was a limit to how much office supplies a borrower could need. When that happened, how would Amanda be able to measure if the borrower was still around? She had to stop leaving quite so much food out after ants began finding her way into her dorm room. It seemed the leftovers just attracted pets.

…I mean, in a way, that’s what happened with the borrowers too. Not that a borrower was a pest, but they did seem to behave a lot like one. In a kind fantasy way of course.

Amanda hummed to herself, tapping her pen against the edge of her desk. Now was the time to take some sort of action. She could write a note. Though she had been against the idea at first, her mind had shifted after over a month of no activity. Surely _one_  note couldn’t hurt, right? Just one note. Carefully worded to not drive the borrowers away. No demands, no threats, just a simple…well, what could Amanda put in there that wouldn’t be considered a threat?

Amanda shook her head. She couldn’t keep getting anxious about scaring the borrowers off. If she really wanted to meet them, it was time to take action. Amanda would just write from the heart and see how it went.

_Dear Mr. or Ms. or….um, what’s a nonbinary title?_

_Dear Borrower,  wait, is that rude? How would I feel if I got a letter addressed “Dear Human”? Well, I wouldn’t be upset, because i’d be fascinated by the idea the writer is not human, but i suppose others would be upset…_

_Dear to whom it may concern, oh great now i’m just writing a business letter._

Needless to say, Amanda had several first drafts. She grumbled to herself, crumpling up another paper and tossing it in the trash. Amanda paused, looking at the trash can and realizing she would have to empty it before tonight. Ever since discovering the borrowers Amanda felt a bit on edge in her own dorm room. She feared talking aloud about borrowers lest she be overheard, and she feared leaving any notes she had taken out where they could easily be discovered. _That_  was a sure way to scare them off. Of course, hopefully this note would help fix all that.

Amanda sighed, taking her pen to the page and trying again. It took most of the evening, and only halfway through did Amanda remember the scale of her audience. This meant she had to keep the note shorter and her handwriting smaller to hopefully not overwhelm them.

Could borrowers even read? Well, Amanda certainly hoped they could.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Amanda had her finished product.

_Please do not be afraid, borrower roommate. I know you’re here and I mean you no harm. I have known for a while and have told no one. My name is Amanda. If you feel like introducing yourself I would like to meet you, but I will also respect your privacy and boundaries if you choose otherwise._

She debated about where to put it, finally settling on the office supplies pile beneath her desk. Amanda considered writing multiple notes, but in the end figured it would be best to start with one. After all, she could always write more.

Now Amanda just had to sit back…and wait again. And maybe wait some more. Amanda sighed. Who knew finding borrowers would involve so much waiting around?


	4. Let's NOT Tell Roman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan finds the note and Virgil gets in trouble.

Logan looked down at the note, his eyes wide as saucers. He tried to steady his breathing, attempting to figure out how this was remotely possible. Logan had been so careful, surely he hadn’t been seen. Could Roman have been seen? Was it possible his older brother had slipped up?

Logan shook his head. No, that wasn’t possible. Roman was far too obsessed with the borrower code. If Roman even  _suspected_  that he had been seen, he would convince the family to move across campus by now.

Which is why Logan would have to deal with this himself. He folded up the note, shoving it into his bag and running back into the walls. There was only one other borrower who had been outside in some time, even if it hadn’t been for over a month.

“You were  _seen_?!” Logan hissed, barging into Virgil’s bedroom. Virgil jumped, backing up into the wall like a cornered animal.

“...please don’t tell Roman.” Virgil whispered, his chest heaving.

“Why did you not tell  _me_?” Logan looked exasperated. “Virgil, this is not a joke.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Virgil retorted, seeming torn between anger and fear. “I know I screwed up, okay? Why do you think I’ve been having so much trouble sleeping? I’m terrified that something is going to happen and one of you is going to get hurt and we’re going to have to move and borrowers aren’t going to be a secret and I’ve screwed everyone over and- and-”

“Virgil, calm down.” Logan’s expression softened, putting his hands on Virgil’s biceps. “Breathe. Deep breaths, okay? Follow my lead. In,...out….”

Virgil followed Logan’s lead, timing his breathing to his brother’s. Slowly he began to gain control again, his anxiety no longer feeling quite so overwhelming. 

“Virgil, I have not told Roman, nor do I intend to inform him anytime soon.” Logan kept his voice soft, not wanting Patton to overhear. Luckily Roman was out borrowing the next floor over. “It was certainly risky for you to keep this to yourself, and in the future refrain from hiding these things from me.”

“I know.” Virgil sighed. “I know, I know! I should have told you. I was just...worried about letting you down. You told me so careful, and I tried, but then this stupid human was up weirdly late and actually  _paying attention_ , -who does that?-  and I wasn’t supposed to be out anyways and I was...embarrassed to admit you were...right.”

“I’m always right.” Logan explained. “And that’s how I know how to fix this.”

“How?” Virgil asked, squinting his eyes.

“We ignore it.” Logan explained, taking the note out of his pack. “I already took this so Roman wouldn’t find it.”

“What is that?” Virgil took it from Logan, reading it. His eyes widened. “...oh no.”

“I see you understand the stakes now.” Logan explained. “But this does not prove anything. There is no proof she knows our location or we are in immediate danger.”

“I don’t know, Logan.” Virgil winced. “Maybe...maybe we should tell Roman? I mean, this whole thing started because I didn’t tell you.”

“No!” Logan shook his head rapidly. “No one is telling Roman. He will take this to the extreme.”

“This is already to the extreme, Logan.” Virgil smacked the note. “A human knows we exist!”

“A human  _says_ she knows we exist.” Logan corrected. “There is no proof.”

“Except this note.” Virgil reminded him.

“Which I’ve already removed.” Logan continued. “I’ll redirect Roman by taking over coverage of that room myself, and I will merely monitor it for other suspicious evidence. Otherwise I will avoid it at all costs. The human will lose interest, or eventually move out of the room. No one ever has to know.”

“...this still sounds like a bad idea.” Virgil admitted.

“Roman will adhere to the borrower code.” Logan explained. “He will insist we move housing, which will put us all at risk. At best, our relationships will become strained. At worst, one of us could easily be killed during such a journey. I admit, this situation is not ideal. But it is not yet so dire that we should be willingly throwing ourselves at the elements.”

Virgil bit his lip, looking indecisive.

“We stick to my plan.” Logan said determinedly. “No one will ever be the wiser.”


	5. An Evening Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The notes keep getting taken, but Amanda has yet to receive a response...until now.

“Bye, thanks for the ride!” Amanda waved, stepping out of the car. She adjusted her backpack, heading into the elevator. Amanda was feeling wonderful. Her grades were up, her projects were going well, but best of all- the borrower note had been taken.

And the note after that. And the note after _that._  Several notes, in fact. One for each night the past two weeks. It was strange though, despite the fact her notes were accepted, there was never a response. Amanda had yet to see a borrower in person- well, for real- or even talk to one. Clearly the borrower knew to read; did they know how to write back?

That’s why tonight’s note had been constructed so carefully and requested a real response. Amanda didn’t want to seem desperate, but...well, she was getting desperate. She wanted  _something_ , some sign that the borrower was willing to meet her halfway. It was encouraging that the notes were still being taken because it showed that so far, she hadn’t scared the borrower off. Not only that, but they were clearly okay with her knowing of their existence because they kept taking the notes rather than leaving them untouched.

Amanda entered her room, tossing her bag on the ground. Usually the notes didn’t leave until the morning, but it was late at night. Perhaps it was late enough to have gained a response? It certainly couldn’t hurt to check.

Amanda went over to her desk, crouching down to look at the pile of office supplies.

“...oh my goodness.” Amanda breathed, her eyes widening. The note card was turned over. On the back, in large shaky letters the beginning of a note had been written.

**_STOP WRITING THES-_ **

But the last letter was scribbly, as if written in a rush. The marker was still uncapped, rolling along the ground after having left a small ink stain on the ground.

_The borrower was still here._

Amanda jumped up, bumping her head on the underside of the desk and causing the whole structure to shake. Amanda hissed, rubbing at her wound as she crawled out from under the desk properly. There was a scurrying sound to her right.

“No, wait!” Amanda turned quickly, facing the noise. Her eyes darted around, trying to find the source of the noise. “Please don’t go.”

The scurrying stopped, but Amanda couldn’t tell if the borrower stopped because they were listening to her or because they couldn’t reach the exit without revealing themself. Amanda hoped that it was the former.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Amanda spoke slowly, keeping her voice as calm as possible. She stayed seated, not wanting to come any closer and drive them away. “You don’t have to be afraid.”

There was a pause. Amanda leaned to the side, trying to discreetly peer around her dresser.

“Sorry, I know my word doesn’t mean much, being human and all that.” Amanda gave an awkward chuckle. “But I really do mean it. Um...not sure how to prove that though. I have left you alone though for like six weeks. Does that count for something? I think it does. I guess that’s setting the bar kind of low, though.”

Amanda glanced towards the one secret entrance she knew. It was slightly open, just waiting for someone to bolt inside and close it behind them. She bit her lip. Should she block it? That felt cruel, trapping them in here. But was it really trapping them? Amanda didn’t know for  _sure_  that was the only entrance, so maybe they wouldn’t be trapped at all… and Amanda could just accidentally block it, shifting her leg a bit to the left…

 _Stop it._  Amanda scolded herself.  _You’re better than that._

“So, what’s your name?” Amanda tried. “I know I asked in note 5, but uh...you never actually...replied.”

Amanda shifted slowly onto her stomach, trying to appear shorter. “Not a talker, huh? That’s okay. I can talk for both of us, I guess. Although, ah...not really sure what to talk about. I don’t want to bore you either.” Amanda sighed, looking wistfully at the exit. “And you probably just want to get away from me, right?”

How could she do this? Sit here and try and have a conversation with a person who actively wanted to get away. The thought made her feel horrible all around. Was she being a terrible person? Sure, Amanda hadn’t blocked the entrance or come after the borrower directly, but even just sitting here and talking she had the borrower trapped.

“Okay, how about this?” Amanda turned back to the dresser where she guessed the borrower was hiding. “Just come out into the open for a second. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to force you to do anything I just… I want to know I’m not crazy. You don’t even have to talk to me, I’ll just leave the room and you can go and I won’t bother you again. I’ll stop writing notes, I’ll stop trying to see you, I’ll just...leave you alone.”

Amanda wasn’t sure if she would truly be able to leave the borrower alone, but it felt like the right thing to say. Besides, if they were willing to show themselves just so Amanda would leave them alone, the least she could do is respect their wishes. No matter what Amanda wanted, she couldn’t befriend someone by badgering them with friendship.

“So?” Amanda pressed, getting antsy. “Are you gonna come out?”

It was quiet for a long while. Amanda began to suspect that the secret door was actually still open from when the borrower left in a hurry, and by now the borrower was long gone down the halls. (Did that mean she should still keep her promise?)

But then, a man no larger than her hand stepped out from behind her dresser. He was dressed in an ensemble of ragtag neutral tones, and the strangest part of his ensemble was a pair of dollhouse-sized glasses perched on his tiny nose.

“Oh wow.” Amanda felt her heart rate increase, perking up as she took in the fact that this was real. She wanted to pinch herself, but didn’t dare move in case it would scare the borrower away. Already it seemed her presence alone had the poor guy shaking like a leaf. “To be honest I wasn’t sure if you would actually do it.”

“I did as you requested.” The borrower’s voice was much clearer than Amanda would have imagined. He audibly hid his fright well. “Now adhere to your end of the bargain.”

“...right.” Amanda deflated, saddened by the thought the borrower truly wanted to be left alone. She had hoped that he’d be at least open to talking a  _little_ , but...well, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Amanda looked him up and down again, from his messy locks of hair to his impossibly minuscule shoes. He really was such a fascinating person. He could easily fit inside Amanda’s hands. He was standing, what, three feet away? Amanda could grab him, right now. There was nothing stopping her.

“Can I at least have your name?” Amanda requested. She explained herself quickly, noticing the look of betrayal and distrust on his face. “I know, I said I’d leave, and I  _will,_ I promise. I’d just like to know your name, and it seems like this might be the last chance I have to ask.”

“What possible use could you have for my name if you intend to leave me alone?” He squinted at her suspiciously.

“I just like to know things.” Amanda shrugged sheepishly. “And even if I’m not going to be talking to you or looking for you, it’d be nice to have something to call you inside my head other than ‘the borrower’.”

The borrower flinched when Amanda mentioned his kind, and only then she remembered that was supposed to be some big secret. He seemed to take his own moment looking Amanda up and down, gauging whether or not he should reveal this information about himself. It seemed the borrower was set in his resolve to stay silent, keeping his posture firm.

“...fine.” Amanda’s sigh was more annoyed than intended as she pushed her palms down on the ground, bringing herself up.

“Logan!” The borrower’s eyes widened at her actions, quickly taking a step back and putting his hands up as if to shield himself. “My name is Logan.”

Amanda froze, trying to comprehend what had just happened. While she appreciated finally getting an answer, it was clear from his posture that Logan felt threatened.

“Oh, no no no!” Amanda corrected, pulling her own hands towards herself as she sat back on her knees, earning another flinch from the borrower. “No, I wasn’t going to hurt you or anything! I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I was just going to stand up. And y’know, leave you alone.”

“...oh.” Logan slowly lowered his arms, looking up at Amanda with a confused expression. Amanda noticed his legs appeared to be shaking again.

“Sorry.” Amanda winced. “I should have given you more warning. I guess I forget how large and startling I must be to you.” Amanda rubbed at her arm, feeling uncomfortable. “Well, anyways, I should get going and leave you be. You’re welcome here anytime, I’d love to see you again, but I promise to leave you alone.” Amanda paused, remembering she should give a warning this time. “I’m going to get up now.”

Logan flinched again as Amanda slowly got to her feet, but she tactfully avoided it by focusing on looking down at her own shoes. She headed for the dorm room door, shuffling awkwardly.

“Bye Logan.” Amanda turned around to wave goodbye, but the borrower was already out of sight again. She sighed, leaving the room for good measure.

Amanda was torn between feeling ecstatic that that had actually just happened, and feeling forlorn that it would never happen again.


	6. What Does One Do When They Have Been Seen?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan has a tense trek home as he tries to figure out what to do now.

Logan’s trek home was tense. There was a lot on his mind, obviously. He had been  _seen_. There was no denying that fact now. He could not ignore it with the excuses he had used before, like emphasizing how Virgil was only seen from a distance or how the never ending notes _technically_  proved nothing. Logan was 100%, undoubtedly seen in broad dorm room light. Not only that, but Logan had broken several sacred borrower rules in the process. He had willingly revealed himself, and he had also spoken to a human directly.

...and yet, the human had let him go.

It had been a hard decision to come out, but ultimately Logan had decided there was no reason to prolong the inevitable since the human knew of his presence. Logan came out of hiding simply to cut to the chase. Never in his life did Logan truly expect the human to keep her word.

Despite that, here he was- walking home unharmed.  _Why_  had the human let him go? Did she have some sort of master plan? Logan had suspected a plan behind the notes, but he could not understand the plan now. Logan had been vulnerable, helpless even. If she had chosen to capture him, there would have been nothing Logan could do to prevent that. What possible motive could there be behind letting him go? Logan was perfectly free to run far away now and never return. Which of course would be the most rational form of action. The moment Logan got home he should grab his brothers, confess to Roman, and evacuate the premises.

“Hey Logan.” Patton greeted him when he walked into the kitchen. “You’re back early.”

“What? Ah, yes.” Logan slowly put his bag down near the entrance, closing the door behind him.

“Is everything okay?” Patton frowned, setting down his needle work. He was currently in the middle of helping repair one of Roman’s boots. The sole had become loose after Roman slipped on the bridge of nails that the borrowers used to travel between the west and east wings of the building.

Logan looked at the shoe, so beaten and torn. Borrowers always used everything until it broke, and then some. Roman had to be using his spare pair of shoes that were in only slightly better condition. Surely it would be cruel to make Roman move wearing such footwear.

“Everything is- everything is fine.” Logan stuttered out a response, rubbing at his forehead.

* * *

 

“Are you sure?” Patton got up, coming over to inspect Logan. “You don’t seem okay. Did something happen?”

“Ah, no, of course nothing occurred.” Logan gave a slight laugh, the end being a bit more high-pitched than normal and certainly making it abundantly clear that everything was not as fine as Logan insisted. The borrower cleared his throat. “I apologize, there must be something in my throat. If you’ll excuse me…”

Logan turned away from his concerned younger brother and headed into his bedroom. He pushed back his hair, trying to decide what to do. Should he tell the others? Should he ignore this? No one knew Logan had even intended to write that note, not even Virgil. Logan had just wanted the notes to  _stop_. It had become so frustrating, having to check in every night to remove the evidence so Roman would not catch on to Virgil’s mistake.

And then there were the notes themselves. Logan sighed, pulling out one to look at it again:  Note 9.

_Hey borrower. Gosh, it feels really odd to keep calling you that, sorry. I hope that’s not offensive. Are you doing okay? Do you need anything? I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself, but if you want or need anything just say the word and I can leave it out. Or actually, you don’t even need to say anything. Just leave me a note back and I’ll know._

Logan groaned, looking down at the letter. All of them held a similar tone that originally made Logan distrust the sender. Every single one implied a secret motive for getting Logan out in the open and communicating with her, which every borrower knew was just a step towards destroying all of borrower kind.

Logan shook his head. He had been listening to Roman too much again. The idea that a single bean could destroy  _all_  of borrower kind was ridiculous, although she certainly was capable of destroying Logan and everyone he cared about.

“What’s that?”

Logan jumped, hiding the note behind his back poorly due to its size. The paper, while small to a human, was over half of Logan’s height. He stared at Patton, standing in the doorway. “...I did not realize I left the door open.”

“You never leave your bedroom door open.” Virgil murmured, coming over to join Patton. His eyes widened, recognizing the paper behind Logan’s back. “Oh my god, you kept them? I thought you were only taking them so Roman couldn’t see. How is this any better?”

“Wait, what aren’t we showing Roman?” Patton took a step closer, trying to peer around Logan’s back.

“Not we, us.” Virgil turned Patton around, shoving him back towards the hall. “Get lost, Pat.”

“I’ll tell Roman!” Patton threatened, causing Virgil to stop in his tracks. Virgil looked uncertain, glancing back towards Logan to figure out what to do.

“Let him in, Virgil.” Logan sighed, folding it back up and putting it away. “It doesn’t matter now, I’ve taken care of it.”

“Taken care of what?” Patton asked, pointing at the box Logan was closing up. “Again, what is that?”

“There was a...small incident.” Logan admitted. “Where there was a possible sighting.”

“You were  _seen_?” Patton gasped, his hands flying to cover his mouth.

“No,  _I_ was seen.” Virgil corrected him. Logan found it ironic that Patton’s original statement was correct and yet no one else in this room could ever know.

“The human, Amanda, left a note to indicate he was spotted.” Logan explained. “And then several notes thereafter.”

“I thought we weren’t referring to her by name.” Virgil raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened.” Logan lied.

“So how do you know they’re going to stop?” Patton asked timidly.

“I have my ways.” Logan tactfully avoided the question. “I will tell you when you are older.”

“I’m older.” Virgil reminded him. “So tell me.”

“Virgil, I will tell you when you are even older.” Logan huffed.

Virgil narrowed his gaze. “You’re starting to sound like Roman.”

“I do not need to be questioned on my tactics.” Logan pointed to his doorway, getting frustrated. “Both of you, out! Now!”

Patton rushed out the door, Virgil hot on his heels. The door was slammed behind them.

“Definitely Roman.” Virgil commented.

“Is he going to be okay?” Patton gave Virgil a look filled with concern.

“...sure.” Virgil threw his arm around Patton, guiding him back to the kitchen. “Look, let’s not think about Logan right now, okay? How’s that shoe coming?”

Logan sighed, pacing back and forth in his room as he rubbed at his temples. It was incredibly foolish of him to keep the notes here where Roman could find them at any moment, but Logan could not force himself to part with them. He couldn’t. Despite how dangerous this whole ordeal was, it was also fascinating.  _How_  did the human know so much about borrowers, had she met another?  _What_  was her plan going forwards? _Why_ did she not take advantage of his vulnerability earlier this evening?

There was only one way for Logan to find out.


	7. Letters To No One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The collection of notes exchanged between a certain human and borrower over the course of a little over two weeks.

**Note 1-** _Please do not be afraid, borrower roommate. I know you’re here and I mean you no harm. I have known for a while and have told no one. My name is Amanda. If you feel like introducing yourself I would like to meet you, but I will also respect your privacy and boundaries if you choose otherwise._

**Note 2-**   _Thank you for taking my note! Or, just in case my note went missing, let me introduce myself again. My name is Amanda. I’m the human living in 549 East. I will not hurt you and I will not go looking for you. Take whatever you need, I have plenty._

 **Note 3-**   _Hello again, thank you for coming back. I’ve left out some food here, you’re welcome to have it. I wasn’t sure if you would prefer brownies or crackers so I put out both. I don’t have much but take whatever you need, I don’t mind._

 **Note 4-**   _Sorry, I hope I did not scare you off with the food thing; that was rude of me. I forgot to tell you it’s not a trap. No tricks, I promise. Or do you just not like brownies and crackers? I can put something else out instead, just leave me a sign. I don’t mind picking up different food too if I don’t have it around._

**Note 5-** _I apologize so much, I’m so sorry. I have not asked your name! What is it? Could you tell me? You don’t have to reveal yourself if that makes you uncomfortable. You could just write it on the back of this note. I’ve provided a marker for your convenience._

**Note 6-**.. _.I take it from the way you scribbled over my wall you’re mad at me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you._

 **Note 7-**   _I hope you’re okay._

 **Note 8-**   _I’m leaving for the night, the dorm room is yours to use as you please. I don’t know if you use clocks, but I’ll be back around four o’clock tomorrow. Which means you can do whatever you want. I don’t mind._

 **Note 9-**   _Hey borrower. Gosh, it feels really odd to keep calling you that, sorry. I hope that’s not offensive. Are you doing okay? Do you need anything? I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself, but if you want or need anything just say the word and I can leave it out. Or actually, you don’t even need to say anything. Just leave me a note back and I’ll know._

**Note 10-** _So I guess you’re not mad at me anymore? I thought you were mad all weekend, but there were no scribbles this time so maybe you’re not? I hope that’s the case and there’s not some other supernatural reason why these notes keep disappearing. That would suck. I’d look kind of like an idiot then I guess._

**Note 11-** _How was your evening? Mine was great. I spent it trying to figure out if I’m actually going insane and experiencing very intense hallucinations. I think I’m not, but WebMD wasn’t exactly my friend. Uh...not sure exactly where I’m going with this. If you could just write me a note back, that would be amazing._

**Note 12-** _So unnamed borrower, would you want to perhaps meet face to face sometime? I know that’s quite an intimidating proposal. Take some time to think it over. In the meantime, you could always write a reply. Marker’s still there, just saying._

**Note 13-** _Am I being too subtle? Look, I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be rude. But I’d really like some sort of sign that you’re willing to make this a two-way communication. You keep taking my notes and I am getting nothing in return. I just want to talk. What is so wrong with that?_

**_Reply 1: STOP WRITING THES-_ **

…

...

...

_**Reply 2: TOMORROW NIGHT. COME ALONE.**  _


	8. Second Time's The Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda is freaking out over the idea that Logan might pay her a visit tonight.

Amanda spent her whole day trying not to freak out. It’s happening.  _Tonight, it’s really, truly, happening._  A borrower was coming to visit her. Of his own free will. She couldn’t even focus on her dungeons and dragons campaign, instead anxiously bouncing her leg up and down.

“Are you okay?” Her friend James asked finally.

“What? Fine.” Amanda shook her head. “I mean, I’m fine. Hey, how long does coffee last?”

“What?” James raises an eyebrow. “Are you...asking me how coffee works?”

“I don’t drink coffee.” Amanda explained. “But I might be pulling an all-nighter tonight and I want to keep my energy up.”

“Okay, I would advise  _against_  that.” James gave her a concerned look. “If you’ve got a lot of homework, we can always finish character development later.”

“Yeah, that might be good.” Amanda agreed. She couldn’t seem to focus anyways, despite wanting a distraction to make the time pass faster. She packed up her bag, waving. “Bye, James.”

Amanda was quite anxious about tonight, she didn’t want to screw it up. Logan has left her a note saying he’d be back tonight and wanted her to be alone. Well, she assumed that’s what it meant. All it really said was “ ** _TOMORROW NIGHT. COME ALONE._** ”

By tomorrow he  _did_  mean tonight, right? It was hard to tell, considering the note was left at some point last night and Amanda didn’t even see it until the morning. 

And then the part about coming alone also confused her. He did mean come to her dorm room, right? Which really meant Amanda was just staying put, even if it was a journey for Logan. Not for the first time Amanda wondered how far away Logan lived. Was he nearby? Was he constantly watching her? The thought was...weird. Subconsciously Amanda has taken to changing in the privacy of her bathroom for the past months.

And what time counted as “tonight”, anyways? Amanda found herself glancing often at her phone, twirling her pen around and around between her fingertips. The minutes kept ticking by so slowly. The sun was still out, so it was probably too early. Then again, maybe since this was a planned occasion Logan would come out early?

Amanda did hope he would show up sooner rather than later. She didn’t want to be too tired and do something she might regret, like fall asleep before he even arrived. Or scare him off by yawning or some other simple action that Amanda wouldn’t think twice about but would send Logan running.

...he did know she wouldn’t eat him, right? Amanda hoped so, but she couldn’t deny that humans in g/t always seemed to think giants were man-eaters. Maybe Amanda should have clarified that in her notes. It felt like such a horrible thing to say: “just so you know, I won’t eat you.” Really setting the bar low there. As if Amanda should gain Logan’s trust over something as simple as not wanting to bite his head off because she was a decent human being.

Amanda groaned, putting her head in her hands. It was certainly too early in the evening for her mind to be traveling such dark paths.

She closed up her laptop, finally admitting she wouldn’t be getting any more homework done tonight. Where should she set up for the evening, anyways? Should Amanda lie in wait near the entrance she knew or would that be creepy?

Where was Logan planning on coming out? It seemed to Amanda that it would be intimidating looking up at a human all night, but she had only ever seen Logan on the ground. Maybe borrowers couldn’t really climb like all the stories said; regardless, Amanda figured it would be best to get comfortable on the floor. She hoped her legs weren’t going to fall asleep, but that was a small price to pay to see Logan again.

Amanda stayed a good distance away from the entrance, trying to keep herself entertained on her phone. She kept her eyes glued to the screen and forced herself to not jump at any little sound. Amanda refused to overwhelm him; She just had to trust that Logan would reveal himself when he was ready.

A subtle creaking sound? Could be a tiny door opening, or it could be the wind. Little tip taps could be footsteps, or perhaps just her imagination. Amanda couldn’t be certain, until she undeniably heard someone clearing their throat.

Amanda glanced up, eyes gazing slowly across the floor before they traveled to where Logan stood on top of her bookshelf, looking just as tiny and tense as ever.

 _I guess he can climb._  “Hi.” Amanda gave him a soft smile, staying put. She felt butterflies in her stomach as her nerves increased tenfold, not wanting to screw up this opportunity. At least she had understood the note correctly.


	9. Logan's Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan questions the human on why he was let go.

Logan’s grip tightened around the strap of his bag, his nails digging into the hard fabric as the borrower fought to maintain an outward stoic appearance. This was  _crazy_. Here he was, having willingly revealed himself to a human  _yet again_ , and now said human was looking at him expectantly. Logan was at least thankful she was staying put across the room for now. He couldn’t handle the threat of having a human so close again.

No, this was much better- Amanda was sat on the floor, and Logan was stood upon a shelf of books above the desk. Strangely enough, up on the bookshelf like this with the desk directly below, Logan actually found himself looking  _down_ upon the human. The perspective certainly helped ease his mind slightly.

Logan took a deep breath. “Why did you let me go?”

The human’s smile fell, and Logan began to fret that perhaps he had angered her already. “Wait, what?”

“What are you planning?” Logan changed his method of questioning slightly. “Why did you release me?”

“Oh, um…I’m not planning anything?” Amanda sounded confused herself. “I mean, I’d like to be your friend, but ah, no evil plans here.”

Logan could almost roll his eyes. Of course she would not admit to her plans so willingly; but even after several days of supervision, Logan himself could not guess her motive. Amanda had done as she promised, not leaving any notes nor trying to interact with Logan in any way. The radio silence was almost more frightening than the constant written communications.

Amanda shifted, looking uncomfortable as Logan squinted his eyes at her, trying to understand her intentions. And there it was again- her actions made no logical sense! Was Amanda truly insinuating that Logan made her nervous? Should she be made aware just how intimidating her own stature could be?

“You cannot fool me.” Logan assured her, hoping it was the truth. “You humans are full of dirty tricks.”

The two looked at each other for a moment. Amanda’s gaze was unreadable, and it caused Logan’s heart to pound in his chest with a sense of anxiety for the unknown.

“…okay, well I  _really_  don’t have any tricks.” Amanda looked around as if searching for advice. “Sooooo, I don’t really know how you want to proceed with that…”

“I do not believe you.” Logan retorted.

“And how exactly am I supposed to convince you otherwise?” Amanda huffed. “I’ve been as nice as I can. Sure it’d be easy to prove I’m evil, but how can I convince you that I’m not? I mean, heck, how do I know you’re not lying or tricking or whatever?”

Logan blinked, tilting his head at the accusation. “Why would I lie?”

“Exactly!” Amanda began to look excited. “So, do you see my point?”

“I don’t follow.” Logan frowned slightly.

Amanda looked at him for a moment, reading his expression. When it became clear he was telling the truth she looked down at the floor and let out a long terse breath of air through her nose.

Logan winced, watching the action wearily. It was clear from her body language that Amanda was beginning to get irritated. This was certainly not ideal as a frustrated or enraged human could be quite the danger to any borrower in the vicinity.

However, when Amanda brought her head back up, Logan was surprised to find another emotion in her facial features. She seemed upset, almost as though her irritation were making her sad rather than angry.

“Okay, how about this?” Amanda suggested, her voice softer. “I’m an open book. Ask me whatever you want, and hopefully I can prove to you that I don’t have some ulterior motive or something.”

It was clear Logan would not get a plan out of her directly, so he gave a small nod. Besides, he still had many more questions for the human. “Very well. How do you know the term ‘borrower’?”

“Oh, right.” Amanda appeared thoughtful for a moment. “Well, I suppose the most basic way to explain it is that there’s a children’s book series about you guys. Mary Norton must have met one of you or something- she’s the author- or I guess she made a really lucky guess.” Amanda gave a slight chuckle.

After realizing Logan was not laughing as well, Amanda awkwardly cleared her throat and continued. “Sorry. Ah, anyways, at this point borrowers are mostly thought of as some sort of fantasy creature, but there’s a group of us who have always hoped that borrowers were real.”

Logan tensed, adjusting his footing and getting ready to run. “You’re borrower catchers.” Logan proclaimed harshly, beginning to connect the dots.

Amanda’s eyes widened significantly. “Oh, nonononono!” She quickly corrected. “No, oh geez, I promise, nothing like that. Or at least, I’m not that. We’re just fascinated with the idea of creatures of all sizes existing, anywhere from giants to tiny people. But just existing, not keeping! No catching here, I swear.”

“I have no reason to believe you.” Logan took a few large steps back, keeping a careful eye on the girl who still had yet to move. “You’ve been attempting to lure me out of the walls for weeks.”

“Okay, when you put it like _that_ it sounds…bad.” Amanda admitted. “But don’t you think if I was going to catch you, I would have done it already?”

Logan paused, just a step away from the secret entrance hidden flush with the surface of the bookcase. He glanced at it briefly.

“I mean, I’m sorry to be  _that_ guy, but I could have stopped you the other night, Logan.” Amanda continued. “But I didn’t, because keeping you here would be wrong. I’d love to talk to you and get to know you and all that, but I want to do that on your terms. It would just feel weird if you were uncomfortable or trapped.”

Logan thought about the truth of her first statement. He could not deny it; he had been completely at her mercy then, and that was what he had been confused about ever since. That night had been the perfect opportunity for him to become nothing more than a human’s captive, a pet for Amanda’s entertainment. Instead she had let him go, and even now continued to keep her distance.

“What would you do if I left right now?” Logan asked, his gaze flitting from his exit back to her expression. She looked hesitant, and even disappointed.

“I wouldn’t stop you.” Amanda insisted, her tone edging on pleading. “Logan, really, you’re free to do as you wish. If you left yeah I’d be disappointed but I’d…I dunno, probably try to get some more homework done?”

Logan decided to test this claim. Without another word he dashed into the entrance, gone in the blink of an eye. Panting, Logan retreated further down the hall, far enough to be out of reach but close enough to continue listening in.


	10. There's GOT to be Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: When Amanda passes her little ‘test’, perhaps there is the slimmest chance of everything working out okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: This story is being turned into an ask blog over at @amandas-discovery. Go check it out to follow the story and also please send in asks!

It was silent for a long time. Then, Logan heard the sound of Amanda shifting, the thud of human footsteps coming closer.

“…Logan?” Amanda’s voice sounded like it was near the door. Though it was closed and nearly imperceptible to the human eye, Logan still worried that it would crack open. “Are you coming back?”

But no light came streaming through. No knocking came at the wall. Other than her one question, Amanda did not acknowledge Logan’s presence at all. Instead, after another long while, Logan began to hear the familiar noises he now associated with Amanda’s studying habits. She truly was returning to her homework, despite the knowledge Logan might be in the near vicinity.

A part of Logan, the logical side, knew that this could be a trick in and of itself. Perhaps Amanda knew this was a test, and acted accordingly simply to try and ‘pass’ Logan’s evaluation. He certainly wouldn’t put it past a human.

But the other part of Logan, the often ignored side, was feeling a strange sort of… empathy for her. The dilemma of trying to prove one’s innocence was certainly a difficult one, and Logan did not know the correct solution. Perhaps there was no true test to prove Amanda worthy of his trust. Perhaps trust was something gradually given, and that only over time could a person’s true character be revealed. Perhaps Logan was tired of living a life full of questions without answers.

Whatever the case, Logan decided that it was worth the risk. He slowly peered his head back out into the human’s world. Amanda was much closer now, sat at her desk with her headphones on as she typed away at her computer.

Amanda glanced at him as he walked across the shelf, coming to stand in the center directly in front of her. She slowly removed her headphones, giving him an expectant look as if to encourage him to speak.

“…I have some more questions.” Logan stated.

“Are they about my malicious plans?” Amanda raised an eyebrow. Logan’s lip quirked slightly.

“First, if we are to be in contact, there must be rules.” Logan explained. Though he hated many of the borrower rules, (which should be a given, considering he was currently breaking at least 5), rules that served a purpose Logan actually found to be quite useful.

It was Amanda’s turn for her lip to twitch upwards. “We’re going to be in contact?”

“Sparingly.” Logan gave her a meaningful look.

“Okay.” Amanda clearly was trying to hold back a grin and failing, trying to stay focused. “Okay, yes, absolutely, whatever you say. What are my rules?”

“Rule 1- no notes.” Logan listed off. He couldn’t have any written evidence ending up in Roman’s hands.

“Clarification question.” Amanda interrupted. “Can I write notes  _back_? As in, can I reply to you?”

“I do not see that becoming an issue, as I also plan to abide by these rules.” Logan explained. “However, should the situation arise… yes. As long as I indicate within my own note a request for a reply.”

Amanda nodded to show she understood, looking like an attentive schoolgirl.

“Rule 2- you must tell no one of our interactions.” Logan gave a slight shudder. “ _Especially_ your borrower catcher friends.”

“They’re not…yeah, okay, absolutely.” Amanda seemed to change her mind about explaining her friend group. “I promise, I’ll keep it a secret. I haven’t told anyone before now, either.”

“Good.” Logan paused, giving her a thoughtful look. “For a borrower catcher, you seem to be quite inadequate at your job.”

“Thank you!” Amanda looked pleased with this observation.

“Rule 3- “ Logan continued, “you must not keep any evidence of my existence.”

“You mean no photos?” Amanda clarified.

“No photography, no artistic depictions, no personal accounts,  _nothing_.” Logan insisted. “No physical evidence of any kind.”

Amanda glanced at a notebook by her right hand side. “…what if I don’t show it to anyone?”

 _“No_.” Logan gave the notebook a concerned glance, wondering what might already be concealed within its pages. He certainly wasn’t about to jeopardize all of borrower kind over this. “I do not care your intentions for such a thing, even if you insist you shall keep it to yourself it must be destroyed.”

“Fine.” Amanda relented, pulling the notebook towards herself. “I’ll cross it all out and burn it for good measure. Will that make you happy?”

“That will be satisfactory.” Logan agreed. “So long as it is actually done.”

“It will be, I promise.” Amanda assured him. Logan looked carefully into her eyes, trying to find any sign of malicious intent but coming up empty handed. Because of this, Logan gave Amanda a rare, small smile. Perhaps there was a chance of this working out after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, please please please consider visiting the new blog (@amandas-discovery) and sending in some asks. There will still be a main story line to this which will continue to be posted here on AO3, as well as any major bits of writing that emerge from the asks, but this new blog shall help drive the plot forwards and also hopefully be a fun experience as we learn more about the characters and their world.


	11. We Both Know What We Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: This story is now an ask blog over at @amandas-discovery. Go check it out to follow the story and also please send in asks! Here updates will be far less frequent.

“I don’t like it.” Virgil commented, still looking at the door where Logan had just left.

“What?” Patton put down the quilt he was working on. Roman had stepped out of the room to grab a drink of water.

“Logan, I think he’s up to something.” Virgil explained.

“What do you mean, what could he possibly be up to?” Patton frowned.

“I don’t know, but just think about it.” Virgil insisted. “That human keeps leaving notes for weeks, and then what, out of the goodness of her heart she just stops? And then we find out that Logan kept the notes and has been referring to the human by name? Not to mention, if the whole note fiasco is  _really_  over like he claims, why does he keep going back there?”

Patton bit his lip, looking unsure. “I…I don’t know.” 

“Maybe the human has him trapped in some sort of agreement.” Virgil said in realization, eyes widening. “What if she’s forcing him to come back night after night or else she’s threatened to do something horrible to him? to  _us_?”

“Do you really think that’s why he never takes a night off?” Patton gave a slight whimper at the thought.

“I don’t know.” Virgil declared, standing up. “But I’m going to find out.”

“What, Virgil, you can’t!” Patton threw the quilt to the side, quickly standing as well. “You’ll get in trouble!”

“Who’s getting in trouble?” Roman returned to the room, a small thimble of water in hand.

“Uh…me.” Virgil nudged his younger brother to remind him to drop it. “If I…eat too many sweets.”

“Ooh, that you would be.” Roman teased. “I’ve got a claim on that tootsie roll and if you touch it there will be words with my sword.”

“…right.” Virgil sat back down as though it pained him. “I was just joking, anyways.”

\--------------------

“I should be going.” Logan said finally, standing up.

“Aww, do you have to go?” Amanda whined slightly.

“I have to adhere to my borrowing schedule.” Logan explained, not giving his true reasoning. After all, his brothers were still waiting.

“Why?” Amanda’s question froze Logan in his tracks, the borrower regarding her carefully. Amanda chose her words with caution, not wanting to scare Logan off again. “I mean, if you’d like, you don’t have to go borrowing anymore.”

“Yes I do, if I want to survive.” Logan countered.

“Well I mean, not really if you think about it.” Amanda took careful note ofthe way Logan continued to tense. “I’d be more than happy to get you anything you need. You don’t have to keep wasting all this time.”

“Wasting my time?” Logan raised one cold, calculating eyebrow.

“Sorry! Poor choice of words.” Amanda hunched her shoulders slightly, beginning to feel uncomfortable. “Maybe not wasting, but…y’know. It’s a unneeded risk. Borrowing’s dangerous, isn’t it?”

“Are you saying I am incapable of protecting myself?” Logan spoke harshly.

“No! No, of course not.” Amanda winced. “I know that you could take care of yourself, but I’m offering to help out. Because when you really think about it, I mean no judgement but you’re basically just stealing, and maybe that’s not the most sustainable way of living, yeah? I could help you out instead, and then you wouldn’t have to leave.”

Logan’s eyes widened, the borrower looking quite fearful as he made a dash for the hole in the wall. Amanda paused, trying to figure out what had just happened before her own eyes widened in realization.

“No, I didn’t mean stay _forever_!” Amanda cried out. “You could still leave, Logan wait! I’m sorry!”’

It didn’t matter what she said. Logan was already gone. Amanda groaned, putting her head in her hands. Not again **.**

**\----------------------------**

Roman yawned widely, causing the others to look at him. “Well, I think this about as much stitching as I can handle for one night. Perhaps it’s time we turn in for bed.”

“Alright.” Patton nodded, gathering up the supplies they had taken out. Virgil and Roman helped as well, Patton directing them where to go. The youngest brother had a system, which made sense considering organizing supplies was one of the few jobs he could actually accomplish while stuck in their home.

“Sweet dreams, Pat.” Roman ruffled Patton’s hair, earning a small smile. “You too, emo nightmare.”

Virgil gave a small salute, dissapearing into his own bedroom. Patton couldn’t help but feel hopeful as he tucked himself into bed. Had Virgil given up?

But, no… a few minutes later, Patton could hear the telltale footsteps of Virgil sneaking out again. Though Virgil was trying to be stealthy, there was one creaky spot of wood just outside Patton’s door. Patton winced, hoping that Virgil was more careful in the human world.

Patton thought about trying to stop him, but Virgil clearly wasn’t going to give this up. Besides, Logan was still out there. Maybe they could watch out for each other? It really shouldn’t be Patton’s business, he supposed. Very few things were his business. His brothers didn’t trust him with much. 

Patton sighed, curling up into his blankets despite knowing he wasn’t going to sleep for a while. He just hoped Logan and Virgil were safe.

\----------------------------

Virgil attempted to maneuver his way through the twisting turns of the labyrinth carved out in the walls by the brothers that borrowed before him. Some of the paths had gotten filled in when discovered, and others became dangerous when pests or weather made it treacherous. This was why multiple routes were crucial, but that didn’t mean Virgil had to like it.

Virgil groaned, feeling all turned around. Why hadn’t he followed Logan here earlier? Everything would have been so much simpler with a guide…but then again, if Logan spotted him then he’d make Virgil go back. He didn’t trust Virgil enough to bring him along. 

The borrower grit his teeth, climbing up his rope steadily to reach the second floor. None of his brothers trusted him. Which, given the amount of times he had snuck out of the house was… fair. But he wouldn’t have to sneak out so often if they just took him with them! 

Virgil was ready for another chance to prove himself. He needed to at least have the basic skills of borrowing, just in case something happened. What if he was stuck on his own? What if everybody else got caught? Oof, _that_  thought paralyzed him at night, and was even more frightening than the idea of getting captured himself. He had to be able to borrow, for his brothers’ sake. Virgil knew how much of a hassle it could be for Roman and Logan to do it all themselves; the least he could do was lighten the load.

Speaking of Logan…

Virgil gave a sigh of relief, finally recognizing his surroundings. The last time he was here was when he was having a panic attack after being seen, so…the memories weren’t exactly  _pleasant_ , but at least Virgil knew where he was.

Virgil took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever secrets Logan was hiding just behind this door.

\-----------------------------

Amanda was quietly working on her homework, feeling dissapointed. She couldn’t help but feel like she was going about this all wrong. It may be logical from a human perspective to want to help Logan, but the borrower was probably still nervous and scared. He might never want her help, and Amanda didn’t want to drive him away by forcing it upon him. She made up her mind- the first chance she got, Amanda was going to apologize and promise to never bring it up again.

So, when she heard the familiar tell-tale sound of the secret borrower door opening, the words instantly began to spill out of her.

“Oh Logan, you’re back! I’m so-” Amanda froze, her mouth agape as she met the borrower’s terrified eyes. Only one thought went through her mind as she stared at the little borrower, black hair a mess and lacking the familiar tiny specs she had begun to recognize:

_That…isn’t Logan._

Just as she was beginning to process what was happening, the door immediately shut again.

\---------------------------

Virgil kept his hand clenched to his mouth, silent tears streaming down his face as he leaned against the inner wall trying to keep from panicking. He had been  _seen_. And properly this time. The human had stared directly into his soul, in broad light and wide awake. Why,  _why_  had he thought this was a good idea? **  
**

“Little borrower?” The human wouldn’t stop calling for him. Virgil clenched his teeth, trying to keep from entering a full blown panic attack. Why wouldn’t she just leave him alone?! Every moment he sat there her voice and movements seemed to get louder, more insistent. Virgil moved his hands to his ears, trying to drown out the sounds that were a constant reminder of his failure. He didn’t care what the human promised him. Humans were dangerous, and that was that. Virgil couldn’t deny it, having been just a few feet away from her moments ago. If he had been just a few seconds slower… Virgil shuddered at the possibilities.

But then….there was one thing the human said that gave Virgil paused. She had said Logan’s name. And Virgil knew it wasn’t just a trick of his own hearing, because on the other side of the wall she continued to talk about Logan and how she claimed to be friends with him. This was worse than Virgil could have even imagined. Logan had  _revealed_ himself? No, it couldn’t be… this human had to be lying.

Virgil shuddered, glaring at the wall across from him in the darkness. The moment his legs stopped feeling like jelly, he was gonna bolt straight home and give Logan a piece of his mind.

\--------------------------

**_(Virgil lets out a shriek, startled when the human begins knocking and tugging on the door. Even from here he can see the drywall shift slightly.)_ **

Amanda: Oh, I’m sorry! Please don’t be scared! Let me explain myself, you’re not in danger!

Virgil: Yeah, right!  
 ** _(Suddenly snapping out of his daze, Virgil’s legs begin to carry him as fast as borrower-ly possible back down the tunnel, getting as far away from this horrible nightmare as he possibly can.)_**

**\------------------------**

Logan sighed, hanging his borrowing bag up on its hook by the door made from an abandoned human key rack. In all the chaos of tonight Logan had forgotten to grab anything to borrow. He really needed to cease doing that. Sooner or later Roman would stop buying his excuse that “it was too dangerous, all the humans were awake”; or worse yet, Roman would want to see for himself.

The borrower made his way into the kitchen, trying not to feel overtly depressed as he quietly snuck a small morsel from the cupboards to qualm his hunger. The bit of green bean he decided to munch on did nothing to settle his insides. Logan continued to feel queasy, and he wondered if this was a side effect of his actions. Was he feeling queasy for abandoning his brothers tonight? Was he feeling queasy for running off on Amanda?

No, certainly not the second one. Logan sighed again. This was all becoming so complex. He enjoyed Amanda’s company and having the proper chance to learn about the human world, but there was something about her that never seemed … satisfied. Logan could not put his finger on it but it made him nervous. He knew to be safe he shouldn’t return, but at this point Logan felt as though he was in too deep to back out now. Logan had to see this  _thing_  through, whatever it was.

Logan paused, frowning in concern as he heard rapid footsteps in the wall pounding down the hall. Had Roman gone borrowing after all? But why the hurry, what happened? Had he been seen? Logan uneasily put his snack to the side, drawing closer as the footsteps got louder. Roman certainly wasn’t trying to be subtle tonight, and that worried Logan more.

But it was not Roman who burst through the door moments later. There was Virgil, hair all frayed and chest heaving as though he had just sprinted a very long while.

“Virgil!” Logan gasped, keeping his voice down to not wake the others. “You snuck out again? What happened, are you hurt?”

Virgil’s harried gaze turned to Logan, his wide fearful eyes quickly growing darker with rage. It was in that moment, Logan realized that his younger brother had learned the truth. “You.” Virgil pointed shakily to Logan, his voice a harsh whisper. “ _You’ve been talking to a human.”_

_\------------------------_

“You- I  _knew_ something was happening.” Virgil’s shoulders began to shake, his lower lip trembling. “But I never even suspected- ! I knew you were going behind our backs, and I didn’t want to believe it, but now I’ve been seen, and you’ve been seen, and- and-”

“Virgil, please!” Logan hurried over to comfort his brother, shushing him in the process. “Virgil, calm down. We don’t want to wake the others.”

“What, so you can do  _more_ secret keeping?” Virgil hissed.

“If we tell Roman, you’ll get in trouble for sneaking out again.” Logan reminded him.

“…yeah, well, it’s a whole lot  _less_  trouble than you’ll be in, mister.” Virgil countered. “And if we don’t tell Roman, we’re all gonna die!”

“Let’s remain calm and rational here-”

_“I’m perfectly calm!”_  Virgil screeched.

They heard a whimpering down the hall, likely Patton tossing and turning in his sleep. Perhaps he had a nightmare.

“Alright, let’s take this outside.” Logan lowered his voice again. Virgil looked at him suspiciously in the eye.

“You’d better tell me everything.” Virgil warned.

“I will.” Logan nodded, holding open the door. “I promise.”

The two walked a tense silence until they stopped to rest upon one of the support beams of the building, stretching horizontally through the wall. Logan sat at one end and Virgil at the other, both tucking their knees to their chests and looking more than a little bit nervous. Virgil gave Logan a look as if to say  _“well, go on then.”_

So Logan did. He recounted from memory all that had occurred in the past few months, starting with the notes and leading all the way up to the way he had stormed off this evening.

“…so, this was all of your own free will?” Virgil clarified.

“Yes.” Logan nodded.

Virgil looked at him for a moment. “How dare you.” Though his first statement was quiet, his voice quickly grew in volume and intensity. “How  _dare_  you! You’re putting us all in danger and you didn’t even think to tell us? You’re taking an insane risk here, Logan. And then you  _knew_  I was all freaked out about being seen and YOU’RE the one who told me I was being reckless sneaking off and doing that and then you went off and did it  ** _but worse!”_**

“You have every right to be angry.” Logan murmured.

“What were you  _thinking?!”_  Virgil continued, looking at him as though he didn’t even know his brother. “What happens if she goes looking for us?”

“She has given her word she will not.” Logan argued.

“Oh, so we’re trusting the word of a human now?” Virgil scoffed. “You don’t know that she’s telling the truth! What if she got her hands on Patton, huh?”

Logan tensed. He had never considered the fact that Patton might be at risk, considering the youngest was always home away from all the dangers of the human world. Logan thought less ill of Amanda than he did most humans, but he certainly wasn’t willing to stake his baby brother’s life on it.

“I trusted you.” Virgil looked crestfallen. Betrayed, even. “And…you put us all in danger.”

Logan didn’t know what to say. Everything Virgil said was factually correct.  
  


“Look, I’m going to bed.” Virgil pushed himself up, looking done with this conversation and still shaken from his own encounter. The poor borrower was exhausted. “Don’t do anything that’ll get us killed tonight.”

“Virgil…” Logan gave a deep sigh, deciding not to call after his brother. What was there to say? Instead, Logan got up and headed to bed as well. Perhaps in the morning, things would be better.


	12. To Visit or Not To Visit, That is the Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: This story is now an ask blog over at @amandas-discovery. Go check it out to follow the story and also please send in asks! Here updates will be far less frequent.

“Alright, everyone up!” Roman began his morning routine, knocking on all the bedroom doors. “Fun family breakfast time!”

Virgil groaned into his pillow. Just because Roman said that every morning didn’t make breakfast any more ‘fun’. In fact, Virgil had a feeling this morning could get quite…tense.

He wasn’t sure what he hoped would happen, or rather what he wanted to avoid. Virgil hated getting in trouble, and if he told about Logan he’d have to explain how he snuck out again. So really, Logan should be the one to tell.  But…Virgil wasn’t sure he wanted that either. Logan was right, moving was dangerous. Honestly, Virgil would just be content for all of this to go back to normal, but it felt like ‘normal’ was out the window. 

“Virgil?” The voice at his door was quieter, clearly Patton knocking this time. Virgil gave a grunt, letting Patton know he could enter. Patton did so. “It’s time to get up.”

“I know.” Virgil muttered.

“Are you okay?” Patton asked, stepping closer.

“I’m fine.” Virgil assured him, still not showing his face. Patton paused, seeming to not believe his lie.

“I heard you and Logan last night.” Patton admitted.

 _…oh._  So that’s what this was about.

“How much did you hear?” Virgil croaked, sitting up. Patton gave a gasp, which didn’t surprise Virgil in the slightest. His face still felt red and puffy. He was a mess.

“Oh, Virgil.” Patton clung to his older brother, desperately trying to rid him of any negative feelings. “It’s alright, you did the right thing.”

“Did I?” Virgil didn’t seem so sure. “I may have busted him, but I don’t feel proud of it. In fact I kind of wish I didn’t know. Not to mention, I broke a ton of rules myself, too.”

“Virgil, rules are just rules.” Patton leaned back to look his brother in the eye. “Sure we put them in place to try to keep us safe, and we should follow them when we can, but I think, most  _importantly_ , we need to do what we think is right. Even if that means breaking a couple of rules.”

“It was more than a couple.” Virgil muttered.

“Even if it means breaking more than a couple rules.” Patton teased with a small smile. 

\-----------------------------

“Where’s everyone else?” Roman asked, raising an eyebrow as Logan entered the kitchen alone. Roman was chopping up some carrot to serve to the others, cold as always. It had been a long time since Roman had a home-cooked meal.

“I sent Patton to wake up Virgil.” Logan explained, taking his seat.

“You sent Patton?” Roman repeated. “I thought you were usually the one to wake dark and stormy.” The pair was very close, and unfortunately that was because they enjoyed teaming up to work behind Roman’s back.

“I have a feeling Virgil is upset with me.” Logan admitted, looking down at his hands folded in his lap.

“Why would he be upset with you?” Roman asked, bringing the plate of carrot over to the table. “Did you lecture him about sneaking out again?”

Logan’s head shot up, astounded. “You knew he snuck out last night?”

“I do now.” Roman gave a proud brotherly smirk, taking a large bite of carrot as he watched Logan pale. 

\--------------------------

“Calm down?” Roman scoffed at Patton’s words. “Padre, I don’t think you quite understand what’s at play here.”

“Please.” Patton’s bottom lip trembled. “I…I don’t want to fight. And I don’t want to move, either.”

Roman paused, a chill going down his back at Patton’s words. He turned to Virgil, whose head was now hung forlornly.

“…Virgil.” Roman found his mouth to be unusually parched. “Tell me you weren’t seen.”

Virgil mumbled something, still staring straight down at his shoes.

“Virgil.” Roman repeated, taking a step forwards. “ _Tell me you weren’t seen_.”

“He was seen.” Logan’s words made all heads turn towards him. “About three months ago, the first time he snuck out.”

 _And the second time_. Virgil thought distantly, and was wise enough to keep this to himself.

Roman gaped like a fish, turning back and forth between the two middle brothers. They tensed, unsure how to read Roman’s reaction.

“Now Roman, let’s be reasonable.” Logan advised, pulling out a chair for Roman.

“Be reasonable.” Roman scoffed, finding it hard to stand as he collapsed into the seat.

“Please don’t freak out.” Patton winced. Roman looked at him, a new emotion entering his gaze.

“You knew too?” Roman croaked softly.

“We only kept this from you because we didn’t want you to make any brash decisions.” Logan spoke slowly, sitting in a seat directly across from Roman.

“I never- “ Roman’s disagreement was cut off by a loud scoff from Virgil.

“Roman, I was so terrified of what you would do, that I kept this a secret for months.” Virgil explained. “Don’t you think there’s something wrong with that?”

“Virgil, I’m your  _brother_.” Roman insisted. “I only do what’s best for the family.”

“Seems we have different definitions of ‘best’.” Virgil muttered.

“There is more to this explanation.” Logan admitted guiltily. “But if we are to come clean, I need your assurance that you will not try to dictate any hasty decisions. From now on, we shall make decisions as a family unit.”

“And no more secrets.” Patton said firmly.

Roman looked between the three faces staring down at him. He only ever wanted to protect them, to do right by their parents and keep his younger siblings safe. But it seemed, despite his best efforts, all he had managed to accomplish was to tear them apart. Roman had made a world where his borrower brothers were more scared of  _him_ than a human, and that was truly dangerous.

“Alright.” Roman tensed, sucking in a deep breath to prepare himself. “Out with it, then.”

\-------------------------

Roman took a deep breath, looking across at Logan. When he spoke, his voice was eerily calm. “So, let me get this straight- even though I’m not- you’ve been sneaking off.”

“yes.”

“To go see a human.”

“…yes.”

Roman took a moment to process this, the tension in the room uneasy.

“You promised not to freak out.” Patton reminded him quietly, nervously. Roman’s glazed over eyes looked in his direction, noting that Patton was half hidden behind Virgil who in turn was trying to slouch behind Logan. Logan sat there, trying to stay composed but Roman could see how Logan’s hands clenched around his knees in anticipation.

Roman rubbed anxiously at his face, hiding his eyes from view. “Logan?”

“Yes?”

“ _What the hell_.” Roman groaned, trying to maintain his composure as he looked back up at his brother. “Seriously,  _that’s_  what you’ve been doing? I assumed you just needed some alone time!”

“I know it sounds dangerous.” Logan explained further. “The risk I took was calculated, but-”

“The risk you took didn’t need to be taken at all!” Roman argued.

“I know, but she let me go!” Logan insisted. “I don’t know why, _still_ don’t know why, but… she continues to let me go, every night.”

“Don’t you think she’s got some sort of alternative plan?” Roman looked unimpressed.

“Of course I thought that, I’m not a complete fool.” Logan was offended. “But it makes no logical sense. I have yet to figure out what her plan could possibly be. We could move out tonight and she’d never know, how is that to her benefit?”

“Just because you can’t figure out doesn’t mean she has no plan!” Roman cried out. “She’s using you, and you’re letting her!”

“I…I’m not being used.” Logan said quietly, unsure. He didn’t like the idea of being outsmarted by a human.

“And you were right, we really should leave tonight.” Roman stood up.

“No!” Patton and Virgil cried out simultaneously.

“Don’t make us move.” Virgil shook his head.

“I don’t want to leave everything behind.” Patton shook his head as well. Roman looked at the two of them, ready to lay down the law before he remembered the promise he made just before this.

“Well, then what should we do?” Roman asked, putting his hands on his hips. “Come on, I’m all ears. How exactly are we supposed to keep our family safe here now?”

“He can stop going back.” Virgil suggested. “I mean, we shouldn’t all be punished for this. Maybe he gets grounded for a while.”

“Virgil, that’s not practical.” Roman shot his idea down. “While I agree, I simply can’t do all the borrowing myself.”

“Then let me help.” Virgil pleaded.

“Oooh, me too!” Patton raised his hand. 

\------------------------------

Roman’s first instinct was to say no to the would-be borrowers, but then Roman took a second glance. Virgil and Patton were older than he thought. How had they grown up so fast? How had he  _missed_  it?

“I think Virgil is eager to prove himself, and at least with proper training we can ensure he’s safe.” Logan spoke up. “And Patton has waited around long enough.”

“Fine, alright.” Roman relented. “We’re going to take this slow and steady, but…I suppose you two can join in our borrowings. BUT!” Roman held up a finger, stopping their slow growing mischievous grins. “Until we deem you ready, you will be  _heavily_ supervised. No more sneaking out alone, only go when accompanied. And if Logan or myself tell you to do something,  _you do it_. This is not a game young men. Lives are at stake here, and I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”

Virgil nodded, for once very cooperative. Patton nodded too, but he seemed preoccupied.

“Something wrong, Patton?” Logan asked. “I assumed you would be more jubilant.”

“I..no I am, it’s just…what about Amanda?” Patton asked softly.

“The human?” Roman clarified.

“What about her?” Logan looked confused.

“I mean, does Logan really have to stop seeing her?” Patton twirled his fingers anxiously.

“ _Yes_.” Roman and Virgil spoke in unison, both seeming shocked at this.

“It seems for once we’re in agreement!” Roman said, impressed.

“But, I mean, I dunno-” Patton moved on to twirling his shirt, “-it seems kinda cruel, doesn’t it? Just suddenly abandoning her.”

“Pat, she’s  _human_.” Virgil reminded him.

“Aren’t humans people too?” Patton argued.

“Padre, it’s more complicated than that.” Roman tried, looking a bit lost.

“Is it?” Patton looked to Roman. “I mean, I know I have the least amount of say, seeing as I’ve never seen a human, but I think my say should still count. And I think she deserves to know what happened. After all, Logan seems to like her.”

Logan seemed to look a little red at this remark.

“I think we’re all forgetting that  _she saw me too_.” Virgil hissed. “And tried to claw her way through the wall to get at me. And yes, Logan, I know humans don’t  _actually_  have claws, but they’re still dangerous, and you shouldn’t go back or she’ll catch you, too.”

Logan bit his lip as the crowd turned their attention on him, clearly waiting for him to speak. “Perhaps it would not be harmful to go back just once…”

“What? No!” Roman protested. “I forbid it!” 

“This is a democracy now.” Logan argued. “We shall vote on it. I move that Amanda deserves the right to explain herself. I believe there is a logical explanation for her actions.”

“Her actions of trying to kill and capture me.” Virgil shuddered.

“All in favor of speaking to Amanda, raise your hand.” Logan watched as his and Patton’s hands raised. “All opposed?” Virgil and Roman raised their hands. “…perhaps we did not think this new system through.”

\------------------------

“…alright.” Logan stared at the wall in front of him, an assortment of different ideas of how to solve their conundrum plastered on sticky notes. “We seem to be no closer to solving this issue.” 

“This is hopeless.” Roman groaned. “Why can’t we go back to the old system?”

“We’re not gonna become your little servants again, Roman.” Virgil glared at him. Noticing how Roman seemed genuinely upset by his comment, Virgil softened his gaze. “How about we just figure this out later?”

“This is not an issue that can be procrastinated.” Logan insisted. “If we put it off, then I do not leave, and therefore you get your way regardless of the fact the matter has not been settled.”

“Uh, yeah.” Virgil raised an eyebrow. “I call that a win-win.”

“That’s cheating.” Patton pouted. “Shouldn’t Logan be able to decide for himself?”

“What?” Roman looked at Patton as though he had grown a second head. “Patton, he’s been  _brainwashed_. We simply cannot allow him to make a decision for himself in this state.”

“…excuse me?” Logan said coldly, turning around.

“I- you know what I mean.” Roman shifted uneasily in his seat, not having meant to upset his brother.

“I am not  _brainwashed_.” Logan insisted. “I know you and I don’t always see eye to eye, but that does not give you the right to make my decisions for me. I know I have been acting brashly, but I have done so within a controlled environment and at my own risk. It is my choice to make.”

Roman looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

“How about this, then?” Virgil suggested. “When one of us wants to do something out of the ‘normal’ accepted borrower behaviors, the other three will vote on it to decide if it is indeed safe or if it’s out of line and should be avoided.”

“You’re just attempting to logic your way into winning your vote.” Logan scoffed. “In this scenario that just means removing myself from the equation.” 

“I mean regardless of this situation.” Virgil argued. “It’ll keep us all in check, and it’ll keep us on good terms. Because at the end of the day, we’re just looking out for each other, right?”

“Right.” Patton nodded determinedly. 

“All in favor of this checks and balances system, raise your hand.” Roman instructed.

Roman, Patton and Virgil all raised their hands. Looking around at his family, Logan knew he didn’t want to fight them. They did truly want to take care of him, even if he didn’t want to be taken care of; they didn’t understand the complexity of the Amanda situation, but he could not fault them for that. 

Besides, Logan had to admit that it sounded like a fair system. So, hesitantly, he raised his hand as well.

\-------------------------

“Well, congratulations.” Logan slowly put his hand down. “You got what you wanted.” 

“Just a moment, now.” Roman corrected. “I think we should put this whole human business to a vote again, now that we’ve finalized our system.”

“Do you really have to rub it in?” Logan groaned. “I understand that I have been beaten.”

“Logan, just- please.” Roman’s eyes had an unreadable expression that caused Logan to reconsider.

“Fine.” Logan looked at the three of them. “All those in favor of allowing me to visit Amanda, raise your hand.”

Patton, of course, raised his hand high. But more surprisingly, Roman did as well.

“What the- ?” Virgil’s eyes narrowed. “Oh hell no.”

“Language.” Patton corrected.

“Logan was right.” Roman explained, putting his hand down. “This should be his choice to make. I may not fully understand it, and I  _certainly_  don’t condone it, but I trust Logan’s judgement. He is one of the most clever borrowers I have ever met. Logan, you break rules so often it drives me insane. But your quick-thinking and disregard for the rules has saved both our lives on more than one occasion. I just ask that you think long and hard about what you’ve gotten yourself into- and I certainly hope you won’t make me regret this.”

“Roman, I…” Logan seemed at a loss for words. “I- thank you for your understanding.” A small smile began to creep across his face, elated at the feeling of finally being heard.

“Aww, come here, you little nerd.” Roman teased, pulling Logan into a warm embrace.

“Group hug!” Patton declared, pulling Virgil along too who reluctantly joined in.

\-----------------------

“Can we get to the actual borrowing now?” Virgil groaned, leaning back in his chair. “We’ve been studying for  _days_. And I already did this stuff, anyways.”

“Oooh, can we?” Patton bounced eagerly in his seat, setting his charcoal to the side. “I want to go with Logan to see Amanda!”

“Nope, that is most certainly  _not_  happening.” Roman cut him off, not wanting that idea to grow.

“But, don’t you have to vote on-”

“All in favor of keeping Patton away from humans, raise your hand.” Roman groaned, watching as the other’s hands rose simultaneously. This whole voting business could be downright tedious.

“Patton, I understand that you have not yet been in the human world, but the Amanda issue is more complicated than you realize.” Logan explained.

“Is that why you’ve been trying to distract yourself by giving us never ending lessons?” Patton tilted his head innocently.

“…okay wow he’s learning fast.” Roman commented.

\-------------------

“I’m not distracting myself.” Logan laughed nervously.

“Well, you are stalling.” Virgil admitted. “Of course, I would do the same thing in your shoes. I told you all it’s a bad idea.”

“I’m not stalling!” Logan insisted. “Look, I’ll prove it to you, I shall go now.”

“Wait, what?” Roman straightened up, looking uneasy. “Right now? Really? I mean, we’re in the middle of a lesson here…”

“No, I should not have put this off.” Logan grabbed his bag and hook from where they hung near the door, tightening his grip around the familiar metal. 

\-----------------------

“I will be back shortly.” Logan informed them, heading for the door.

“If you’re back at all.” Virgil muttered, causing Patton to smack his arm.

“Now wait a moment!” Roman scrambled out of his chair, rushing over to follow Logan out into the wall. He closed the door, lowering his voice so the others couldn’t hear. “Logan, don’t be brash. Let me come with you.”

“No.” Logan insisted. They had had this discussion before. It was one of the reasons Logan put this off so long. That and…another thing.

“I promise, just for safety.” Roman pleaded. “I won’t stop you.”

“Roman, if it were really for safety, then you would be tempted to interfere if something occurred, and then we would be leaving behind two untrained borrowers to fend for themselves.” Logan informed him. “And if you did not interfere, you would only blame yourself.”

“Well I’m going to do that no matter what if something happens to you.” Roman muttered.

“I promise, nothing is going to happen.” Logan gave a small smile, putting his hand on Roman’s shoulder. 

“…Fine.” Roman huffed. “But if you’re not back by midnight so help me I’m coming after you.”

“Acceptable.” Logan gave one last nod, taking a deep breath to steel himself as he began walking the other way. Despite all his bravery in front of his brothers, Logan was quite nervous what state he would find Amanda in. Three days was a long time for him to be absent after spending almost a month daily visiting. Logan was well aware he had never seen the human truly angry and hoped he was not about to experience that particular emotion tonight.

\-------------------------

“We do?” Logan raised an eyebrow, in agreement with Amanda’s statement but nervous for the human’s intentions. Not to mention, the borrower felt quite unequipped to deal with Amanda when she seemed so visibly upset. It was a new territory Logan wasn’t fond of exploring.

“I saw another borrower!” Amanda explained in a rush. “I thought he was you coming back but it was someone else and I don’t know if you two know each other but I scared him really badly and then I tried to explain myself and I wasn’t sure if he was still there so I panicked and tried to open the door and then I think I scared him more and then you didn’t come back and-”

As Amanda paused her rambling to take a deep breath, Logan took a moment to try to process his response. Perhaps he should have discussed this aspect with his brothers more. Virgil would not be fond of the idea of Logan revealing more information about him to a human.

“Amanda, I… I know whom you’re referring to.” Logan explained, speaking up before she could continue.

“You do?” Amanda winced. “Is he alright? Did you talk to him? Convince him I’m nice?”

“…in a way.” Logan avoided answering. “I doubt you will be seeing him any time soon. You gave him quite the scare.”

“He’s not gonna move, is he?” Amanda looked quite worried at the prospect. Logan noted this behavior. Virgil and Roman would say this was because Amanda wanted them to stay closer to where she could trap them. “I don’t want him to get hurt or have to leave his home because of me.”

 _Ah._  That was the reason Logan had suspected. He was proud to be proven correct.

“He will be fine.” Logan assured her, careful how much he revealed. “You did not drive him away.”

“Oh, thank  _goodness_.” Amanda gave a sigh of relief so strong Logan felt it ruffle his hair. “Logan, you have no idea how worried I was for him. Can you tell him I’m sorry?”

“I can.” Logan nodded. “Although I’m not sure if an apology will be accepted. He believes you were attempting to capture him.”

Amanda’s eyes widened. “No! No, Logan, I promise, I swear, I would never. I just freaked out a bit because I didn’t want him to leave without an explanation, but um…that really wasn’t the best thing. And I’m sorry. I promise, I won’t do anything like that ever again.”

“Indeed, I would certainly hope not.” Logan could not justify coming back if Amanda continued to scare his siblings, intentionally or otherwise.

“But ah, can you tell any other borrowers in the building about me?” Amanda requested. “So nobody moves because of me?”

Logan’s first instinct was to say ‘yes’, before he remembered one of the sacred borrower rules about not revealing your fellow borrower. Virgil got  _himself_ seen, but Patton and Roman… no, he couldn’t reveal them and put them in danger. At least, not yet.

“There are no other borrowers.” Logan explained. “Otherwise I would pass the message along.”

\------------------------

“Oh.” Amanda was sort of surprised to hear there were no other borrowers. She had suspected more of them, but maybe they really were the only two. And Amanda still didn’t know if Logan and the other one lived together or were just neighbors.

…okay, she really had to stop calling him ‘the other one’.

“In that case, can I ask you a question?” Amanda asked. 

“You just did.” Logan replied, causing Amanda to roll her eyes. Logan had a habit of being very particular, and Amanda wasn’t sure if it was just because he was literal by nature or messing with her. Perhaps a bit of both.

“What’s his name?” Amanda requested. “The other borrower, I mean.” 

“Ah.” Logan shifted slightly. “I…I do not think it would be wise to disregard his privacy like that, especially considering the fact he would choose to remain anonymous.”

Amanda really didn’t see the harm in knowing his name, but she also knew better than to drive Logan away again. So, she simply nodded in understanding. “Yeah, that’s fair.” 

\------------------------

Logan took a seat, allowing his legs to dangle over the edge of the shelf as he rested. His eyes once again rested on the pile of cookies.

“Sorry about the mess.” Amanda seemed to notice his gaze. “I was trying to make them smaller, but it didn’t exactly work.”

“I see.” Logan now noticed her handiwork. “That was…thoughtful.” He admitted.

“I can get you something else if you’re hungry.” Amanda offered. “Just to make up for these. I guess an apology-apology snack.”

“I don’t need anything.” Logan reminded her, a bit peeved she seemed inclined to once again give him charity.

“Oh, I didn’t mean as a substitute for borrowing!” Amanda hastily amended. “I promise, I’m not going to do that anymore. It would be just as a snack right now.”

Amanda ducked under her desk. Logan leaned forwards to try and see what she was doing, but moments later Amanda reappeared with a bag of chips. She opened it, crinkling the plastic a bit as she pulled one out to offer to Logan.

“They’re oven-baked.” Amanda explained. Logan had no idea what that meant. “Do you want one?”

Logan re-evaluated the situation, realizing that this was just a minor offering. Amanda wanted to share some of her food as an act of kindness as well as repentance. With this in mind, Logan reached out to take the chip between his hands. He felt a large amount of salts and oils get on his palms as Logan raised the chip to his mouth and took a bite. Looking very pleased with herself, Amanda popped a chip in her own mouth too.

\--------------------------

“So,” Logan began, looking Amanda up and down. She seemed better now, but still quite frazzled. “I feel the need to inquire again about your current state. How have you been holding up in my absence?” 

“Um…eh.” Amanda shrugged sheepishly. “I know it’s a bit selfish of me, but I was worried that you weren’t coming back.”

“I apologize for my absence causing you such unease.” Logan apologized. “Although I do think my visits may become less frequent.”

“How come?” Amanda’s eyes immediately grew worried. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, I just need to spend a little more time borrowing.” Logan explained. Specifically teaching his brothers.

“Oh…okay.” If Amanda questioned his reasoning, she didn’t do it verbally. “Can you tell me how long you’ll be gone though? And when? Like maybe we can have some sort of system.”

“Perhaps.” Logan mused. He wasn’t sure letting a human know his entire schedule was a great idea, but giving Amanda warning when he would be gone for long periods of time seemed fair. “At the very least, I can assure you that I’ll return.”

“Well that’s a relief.” Amanda admitted. 

\----------------------------

Amanda perked up, getting an idea. “Do you think your friend would ever be comfortable coming along, too? I would love to apologize in person.”

At that, Logan actually laughed. “Forgive me, I do not mean to laugh, but- no. For one thing, he is most certainly not the type who would want to return. And for another, if he was I would forbid it.”

Amanda did not seem to share in his amusement. In fact, the smile she usually wore began to fall into a slight frown. “You’d … forbid it? Why?”

“Well, it would be dangerous.” Logan explained, his humored expression fading away as well. “I thought you understood that.”

“Yeah, for any other human, but you know me.” Now Amanda looked hurt, and Logan realized he had offended her. “Do you really think of me as that dangerous?”

“Amanda, it’s nothing personal-” 

“It feels personal.” Amanda cut him off, moodily avoiding his gaze.

“I assure you, it’s not.” Logan sighed. “Just an extra precaution so everyone is kept safe. I would not want to put him in harm’s way.”

“Put him in-? Logan, what exactly do you think I’m going to  _do_  to him?” Amanda said exasperatedly. “The same thing I’ve done to you-  _nothing_! I can’t change my humanity, and I know that means I need to be cautious and you need to be cautious but that doesn’t mean I’m  _dangerous_.”

\----------------------

“You’ve twisted my words.” Logan argued. “I did not call you dangerous, I said that a visit would be dangerous.”

“Which is basically the same thing in this case, because I’m the only thing dangerous about it, right?” Amanda challenged. “Because obviously the journey isn’t that dangerous if he already did it himself.”

“It can be!” Logan insisted. “He got lucky. And even if I were to drag him here he would be terrified still from your _last_ encounter.”

“I didn’t say right  _now_ , I said in the future.” Amanda huffed. “But clearly what do I know? I’m just a big, dumb human.”

“Stop that.” Logan snapped. “Do not attempt to guilt trip me into roping him into this. He’s not coming back and that’s final.” 

Amanda glared at him, and Logan felt a shiver run down his back. For the first time in a while, he felt truly afraid of Amanda rather than just being cautious of her size. Logan began to realize he may have made a mistake. After all, he was completely at her mercy. Logan should have known better than to snap at a human.

\-----------------------

As Amanda took in Logan’s shaking form, her anger quickly began to dissipate. 

“Sorry.” She murmured, quickly shaking her head as all that fiery energy from moments ago left her feeling merely deflated. “I kinda get easily emotional when I’m exhausted, and I guess you just happened to strike a nerve there.”

“I… I noticed.” Despite Logan hiding his stammer, Amanda still caught it. 

“Look, it’s late.” Amanda pointed out, glancing at her clock. “Maybe it’s best if we both get some rest.”

“Agreed.” Logan nodded, gathering up his bag. He didn’t meet her eye.

“Sorry, again.” Amanda winced. “I understand what you meant. You don’t have to bring him.”

“I did not need your permission.” Logan reminded her.

“I know.” Amanda shrunk into her shoulders. There was an uncomfortable silence as Logan stood up, throwing the strap of his bag over his shoulder. It seemed Amanda had screwed up once more.

“…I apologize as well.” Logan spoke so softly that Amanda almost didn’t catch it. “I should have considered how my statement would be taken.” Another pause. “I will be back tomorrow night.” With that, he left.


	13. Fall from Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: This story is now an ask blog over at @amandas-discovery. Go check it out to follow the story and also please send in asks! Here updates will be far less frequent.

“Okay, that’s it!” Roman declared, stopping his pacing. The watch read 11:55. “I’m heading out early. It’s been too long, he should have been back by now.”

“Be careful!” Patton pleaded, watching Roman gather up his bag. Roman gave him a nod. 

“Both of you…” Roman looked between the youngest pair, sitting innocently on the ground as if they weren’t common mischief makers. Well, Virgil at least. “…don’t do anything stupid.”

“No promises.” Virgil shrugged.

“ _Virgil_.” Roman gave a warning tone, but he didn’t have time for this. Logan needed him. Instead he just gave Virgil one last glare, rushing out and slamming the door behind him.

\---------------------

Patton looked at the now closed door with a frown. “…do you think we should follow them?”

“What?” Virgil looked at Patton like he was crazy. “No! Since when are you a rule breaker, anyways?”

“I know, but…I don’t know.” Patton gave a small sigh, worry lines appearing on his face. “I just have this feeling that something horrible has happened.”

\-----------------

Perhaps it was the fact Logan was rushing. Perhaps it was the fact that Logan was not in the right mindset after his loud discussion with Amanda. Perhaps it was the residue oils on his palms from the potato chip.

Or perhaps it was a combination of all three. 

Whatever the case, Logan felt his footing slip as he raced along the wooden support beam. He yelped, quickly grabbing onto the side of it, but his grip was too slippery. Logan’s eyes widened as he noticed his hands begin to slide. He frantically tried to re-grip the wood, but it was no use. 

“Oh no no no-” Logan murmured, looking frantically around for a solution. He tried to grab his hook hanging at his side, but the second he let go with his left hand the right hand immediately followed suit. Logan found himself in free fall, dry wall and insulation alike passing by in a blur. Logan closed his eyes, bracing for impact. 

The moment Logan hit the wood at the bottom there was a sickening thud. He did not get up.

\-----------------

Roman pulled himself up onto the next floor, winding up his hook to rest at his side. On the other side rested his trusty sword, an abandoned sewing needle that was kept quite sharp. With every step it swung slightly at his side, and Roman gripped it to keep it steady.

The further Roman went, the more uneasy he became. He truly had prayed to meet up with Logan along the path, and that this would just be a misunderstanding about curfew where he scolded his brother. But now… with no sign of Logan in sight, Roman felt his anxious feelings increase. 

Something must have really happened. He should never have let Logan go back. All humans were trouble.

Roman tightened his grip on his sword.

\----------------

Amanda paused, in the middle of getting ready for bed when she heard a soft thump in the vents.

“…Lo’han?” Amanda called out tentatively, her mouth full of toothpaste. When there was no response, Amanda finished scrubbing her teeth and spit into the sink. It was probably just another noise made by her neighbors. Or maybe she had imagined it entirely. Amanda washed out her brush, turning off the faucet. She couldn’t just associate every little noise she heard with borrowers. Amanda would end up driving herself insane.

“…Logan, was that you?” Amanda tried again, walking back into her bedroom. After all, it couldn’t hurt to ask. Amanda had done far stranger things than talking to herself. 

Amanda listened carefully, heading towards the vent where she thought the noise originated. Then again, she never was very good at that kind of thing. This particular vent was at level with her bedroom floor. 

The human shook her head. No, it had to have been something else. Surely Logan was already home by now, and Amanda doubted he lived close by. And the other one wanted nothing to do with her, so it couldn’t be a borrower.

At least, that’s what Amanda thought until she heard a groan. 

\-------------------

Logan slowly awakened, taking a deep, shuddering breath. His lungs felt like they were on fire, but he was alive. For that, he had to be grateful. He let out a groan, trying to sit up but unable to with how his bones protested.

“Logan?! Logan, are you alright?” 

Logan froze, recognizing Amanda’s voice. Where was he? Where had he fallen? He tried to call out to her, but his body only seemed capable of producing a low moan. He heard a large amount of shuffling in the room beyond, and he prayed that Amanda knew where he was. Logan knew he needed help, and if Amanda was the only one around he was even willing to accept it from her.

A bright light suddenly shined into his face, and Logan’s eyes squinted to try and see the source. 

\------------------

“Logan?!” Amanda froze. That didn’t sound good. She quickly got down on her hands and knees, trying to peer into the vent, but the human couldn’t make out anything in the darkness. “Logan, are you alright?”

Amanda heard another groan, making it clear she wasn’t hearing things. Scrambling back to her feet, Amanda looked around the room. A flashlight- she needed a flashlight.

Grabbing it from her bookshelf, Amanda hurried back to the floor and shined it between the bars. There, laying just a foot or two from the entrance was Logan, lying unnaturally limp.

“Oh no.” Amanda said softly, at least thankful to see Logan squinting so she knew he was alive. “Are you alright? No, that’s a stupid question, sorry, you’re obviously hurt. Logan, what happened?”

\------------------

“…I fell.” Logan’s explanation was weak, but Amanda was just glad that he felt well enough to speak.

“okay, hang on, I’m gonna get you out of there.” Amanda got up again, looking around for her tool kit gifted to her last Christmas for set building. Inside she pulled out the Philips head screwdriver, going back over to the vent and scraping away at the paint so the screws were visible. Amanda unscrewed the gate, pulling it off and trading her screwdriver for her flashlight once more.

“…um.” Amanda looked at Logan for a second time. She knew it wasn’t the best idea to move an injured person, and not to mention Logan was very anti-grabbing. But at the same time, the vent was probably not the safest location, and she couldn’t do anything to help him there. “Logan, is it alright if I pick you up?”

There was hesitancy, and Amanda could see that Logan was staring at the ceiling instead of her. But, slowly, he gave a nod.

“Okay.” Amanda could feel her heart racing, nervous beyond belief that she was going to make his injuries worse. “Alright, I’m gonna be as careful as I can, but let me know if anything’s wrong.”

Amanda slowly reached her left hand in, the limb casting a large shadow and blocking most of her view. She reached down, trying to grab Logan almost like a claw machine as she was limited by space. The moment her fingers touched him Logan let out a cry, and Amanda instantly retracted her hand.

“Sorry! Sorry, I’m so-“

“It’s fine.” Logan rasped. “Just do it.”

“O-okay.” Amanda reached in again, this time trying not to be as hesitant, so Logan wouldn’t have to suffer long. Her fingers wrapped around his body, lifting him up above the cold vent floor. Amanda could feel him tense, but he gave no verbal protest again.

Amanda scooted backwards, pulling Logan up and out into the light. Surely her heart was beating faster than a hummingbird now. Though Amanda had always dreamed of holding a borrower, she never wanted it like this.

“Alright, um, where does it hurt?” Amanda kept her hand as steady as possible, palm flat so Logan could stay on his back. Her hand was trembling. Oh my Lord, do NOT drop him. “Ohhhhh your wrist is bleeding. Oh, that’s not good.”

“Put me down.” Logan said through gritted teeth, and Amanda realized he was just as nervous as her.

“Right! So sorry.” Amanda carefully made her way over to the desk, placing Logan on his familiar shelf. While she thought a pillow might be softer, she didn’t want to make Logan feel trapped when he was already in pain.

\---------------

Logan cautiously sat up, wincing as it clearly caused him more aching. Amanda gave a little prayer of thanks, as for a horrifying moment she had wondered if Logan had become paralyzed.

“Careful.” Amanda spoke softly, almost scared to talk as she crouched down.

“I… My back and my wrist are the primary sources.” Logan informed her, inspecting himself. “I landed on those pressure points and scrapped up a fair bit of skin.”

“Ow.” Amanda winced in sympathy. “Okay, um…I’m not a doctor, but…one second.” Amanda booted up her laptop, and as that was running she rushed into the bathroom to grab the First Aid Kit. She began to google possible injuries Logan might have. “Fall injuries…back hurting…well it’s not that…how far did you fall, exactly?”

“Less than a floor.” Logan admitted, looking up towards the ceiling. Amanda looked too, paling as she tried to picture the distance for a borrower.

“Yeah, I certainly hope so!” Amanda exclaimed.

“Borrowers are sturdy, we can survive farther falls in comparison to our height.” Logan explained. “However, I landed in an unnatural manner. I suggest cleaning the wounds would be the first course of action.”

“Oh, yeah, okay.” Amanda pulled out a cotton ball, pouring a bit of Hydrogen Peroxide onto it. “Do you mind if I…?”

Logan clutched his injured arm, but he nodded, holding out the bloody wrist for Amanda to clean. Amanda brought the cotton ball over, touching it to the wound. The second it made contact Logan let out a scream.

“Sorry!” Amanda whispered, quickly pulled away. “Ah…it can sting a little.”

“I noticed.” Logan grit his teeth again, glaring a bit at her.

“I’ll be quick, I promise.” Amanda went back in, giving it a quick scrub. “Stop struggling, this is for your own good.”

“Ow!” Logan pulled his arm away, most of the blood cleaned up by now and leaving Amanda satisfied. “You aggravated the bruises.”

Maybe a broken wrist? That wouldn’t be good. Amanda didn’t know how to fix that, so she changed targets. “Okay, let me just check your back…” Amanda explained, wanting to be done with this cleaning process. She couldn’t remember feeling of any dried blood on Logan’s back, but then again she had been preoccupied. Amanda reached out, running her finger down Logan’s spine. The borrower shuddered at the touch, but Amanda was pleased to feel nothing.

\--------------------

At the sound of his brother’s scream, Roman bolted down the hall as fast as his legs could carry him. Why did he wait so long? Why had he let Logan go alone? Logan was probably being tortured all night and Roman had just sat there, letting it happen…

He had to get in there. Roman had no time to be picky, so he ducked down into the vents, taking the riskier shortcut towards the dorm room. It was cold and dangerous in the metal tubes, but that was the least of his worries right now.

“Stop struggling, this is for your own good.”

Roman’s blood began to boil as he heard the human’s voice echoing around him as the sound travelled through the walls. He all but slid around the last corner, noting how the vent cover was completely removed. Well, there was no use for subtlety now anyways. Roman drew his sword, rushing in to the room and seeing the human seated at her desk chair, facing away. For once, Roman felt completely unafraid. His passionate fury left no room for such instincts.

“WHERE IS LOGAN?” Roman demanded.

\------------------

“What do you mean, a bad feeling?” Virgil stood up. “You know what I’ve got a bad feeling about? Going towards a human.”

“I know, I know.” Patton put his hands in his lap. “I’m sorry for suggesting it.”

“…but what if something did happen?” Virgil murmured, beginning to follow Roman’s path as he began to pace around the room. “What if the human’s furious at Logan for not coming back sooner? What if she decides that he’s not allowed to come back at all?”

“Uh oh.” Patton winced, realizing Virgil was getting wound up.

“What if she keeps him?” Virgil paled. “And tortures him, trying to get more information about us, about  _me_. What if Logan spills about where we are?”

“Logan wouldn’t do that.” Patton said firmly.

“And what if he doesn’t?” Virgil whirled around, using Patton’s argument against him. “What if she just keeps hurting him, and he’s in pain, and eventually she just decides there’s no use for him anymore-“

“I really don’t think-!” Patton’s desperate attempt at reason was completely ignored by his brother.

“OH MY GOD I’VE KILLED LOGAN!” Virgil cried out, clutching at his face. “I’m the reason he’s in this mess and now he’s gonna die!”

“VIRGIL!” Patton rushed over, firmly grabbing his older brother’s shoulders. “Logan is  _not_  going to die. Roman’s going after him right now, remember? Even if something did go wrong, I’m sure Roman can save him.”

Virgil was not so optimistic, but his energy seemed to have deflated somewhat. “But what can Roman do against a human?” Virgil’s face fell in realization. “Oh no, I’ve killed them both.”

“Virgil, you haven’t killed anyone!” Patton was beginning to get frantic himself, Virgil’s anxiety proving to be a bit contagious given the circumstances. “They’re…they’re gonna be fine.”

Virgil looked into Patton’s eyes, noticing his younger brother’s tears. Despite what he said, Patton was terrified. Virgil winced. What a horrible older brother he was, scaring Patton like this. He couldn’t let his panic continue to overtake him if Virgil really wanted to go borrowing again. No, he had to be brave for his family.

“I’m going after them.” Virgil said decidedly, going and grabbing his bag from the wall. “You’re staying here.”

“Am not!” Patton sniffled, wiping at his nose to clear up his face.

“Are too.” Virgil argued elegantly.

“Roman said we weren’t allowed to go borrowing alone.” Patton reminded him.

“Yeah, but Logan and Roman aren’t here.” Virgil said, adjusting the hook at his side.

“But I am!” Patton puffed out his chest. “And Roman only said we couldn’t go  _alone_. He never said we couldn’t go  _together_ , so this way we’re not doing anything wrong.”

Virgil paused, turning back to Pat. What a clever little loophole- if they all survived this, it might just be enough to keep both from being grounded again. “…you’re really sneaky, you know that?”

“I’ve been practicing my sneaking.” Patton winked, ready to follow Virgil out the door. The youngest did not have any borrowing supplies of his own yet.

“Okay, fine.” Virgil relented, not wanting to waste any more time. “But stick close, and do exactly as I say, got it?”

“Got it.”

\-----------------------

Amanda whirled around in her chair, letting out a shriek that made Logan jump as she saw a very angry borrower threatening her with a sewing needle. Amanda quickly pulled her feet up onto her chair, not eager to get her ankles stabbed. The fact that she was bigger and could overpower him would not save her bare feet from getting injured. Besides, even if it wasn’t rude to grab him with her hands Amanda wouldn’t want to risk her wrists getting pricked either.

But wait a moment… this was a 3rd borrower, one Amanda hadn’t met before. She wasn’t exactly surprised that Logan had lied about how many there were, but it did sting a little.

“Where is my brother?” The borrower demanded again.

 _Your brother_? Amanda thought.  _Logan has a brother? Wait, is the other one a brother too?_

“L-Logan’s right here!” Amanda felt her body shaking despite herself, feeling that same horrible wave of emotions that came whenever she got yelled at in school.

“Release him!” The borrower commanded, taking a step forwards and thrusting with his needle. He looked a bit surprised when Amanda flinched, clearly not expecting that to work.

“No, you don’t understand, I’m not-“

“I said release him!” The borrower repeated, cutting her off. Amanda bit her lip, turning back to Logan who seemed at a loss for words, flapping his jaw up and down as he floundered to regain a basic knowledge of the English language. She wanted his help, but it seemed the injured borrower had nothing to offer her at the moment. He just looked up at Amanda with a pitying glance, and only then did Amanda realize tears were collecting in her eyes. It had been a very stressful day, and the poor human was just trying to go to bed.

Maybe it would be best if Logan just left. He was injured, but now that his brother was here at least he wouldn’t be alone. She hesitantly reached out her hand, looking to Logan for some sort of indication that this would be alright. However, before Logan could give his own response, her vocal intruder decided to answer.

“NO!” The borrower roared. “Don’t touch him, you monster!”

“Well how am I supposed to ‘ _release_ ’ him?” Amanda spat, her frustrated tears increasing, and she glared down at him.

“He can climb down himself.” The borrower decided, and Amanda guessed he couldn’t fully see Logan’s state from the floor.

“He’s injured.” Amanda explained, but of course this only riled up the borrower more.

“What did you do to him?”

“I didn’t  _do_  anything, I was trying to help!”

“ _Help_.” The borrower spat. “How charitable, after you were the one who incapacitated him, you vile, cruel, nefarious-.”

“Stop that!” Amanda cried out, tucking her knees to her chest more tightly. “You have no right to talk to me like that, I haven’t done anything wrong. Logan fell in the wall, and I had nothing to do with it and he needs to rest. And you’re the one who-who comes in here all accusatory and you don’t even  _know_  me and I’m just doing my best and I’m tired and emotional and frankly you’re kinda getting on my last nerve.”

“…a likely story.” The borrower shifted from foot to foot, looking unsure of himself. Amanda doubted it was because he believed her (they never did) and more so dealing with the fact he didn’t know how to proceed from here.

“Amanda.” Logan finally seemed to find his voice, addressing her.  _Took you long enough._ “Perhaps you could give the two of us a moment alone.”

Amanda looked at him, then looked back at the borrower on her floor, still holding that needle aloft. “…he’s gonna stab me.” Amanda murmured, sounding almost embarrassed at being afraid of a borrower.

“He’s not going to stab you.” Logan assured her.

“I sure will.” The borrower threatened, adjusting his blade to prove his point.

“ _Roman_.” Logan hissed, in the tone only a brother can use. At least she knew the name of the floor borrower now. “Do not stab her. Stop attempting to keep a human contained  _with_  us and allow Amanda to leave.”

 _Yup, that’s me, the big scary human_. Amanda thought glumly. Roman seemed to begrudgingly stand down, but even so Amanda slowly wheeled herself towards the other side of the small room to give the borrower plenty of space. With every step she took towards the door she could feel his distrusting eyes on her, and it broke Amanda’s heart.

“Logan, I really need to get to bed.” Amanda explained, her tone almost pleading as she hesitated in the doorway. “So I’ll check back in a couple minutes, okay?”

Logan gave her a nod of understanding that was almost hard to catch from across the room. Roman gave her a disapproving frown, but frankly Amanda didn’t care what he thought. It was her room, after all. Sniffling a bit, Amanda left, leaving the borrowers to their own devices.

\----------------------

The second the human left Roman bolted across the floor, heading directly for the desk. “Logan, are you okay?”

“No, of course not.” Logan informed him with a scoff. “I’m injured, as Amanda informed you.”

“Yeah, I heard.” Roman pulled out his hook, throwing it up to latch into the wood. He huffed, climbing as fast as a borrower possibly could.

“I really did fall.” Logan explained.

“So she _dropped_  you?” Roman grunted, pulling himself up the string. “Typical.”

“Stop it.” Logan growled, pulling in on himself. He certainly didn’t like Roman’s attitude. “I ought to smack you when you get up here.”

“That’s a strange way to thank your rescuer.” Roman’s voice echoed from below.

“What, you still think  _you’re_ my rescuer?” Logan pointed out. “Surely you’re not that thick-headed. If Amanda really wanted to capture you, she could have.”

“Then it’s a good thing for us she’s stupid.” Roman appeared over the edge of the desk, a bit sweaty.

“She’s not stupid.” Logan insisted. “And you were being cruel, she was only trying to help.”

“ _Cruel_? Me?” Roman said incredulously, watching idly as the hook sailed through the air again, landing hear Logan. “I… _she’s_  the human.”

“Human is not synonymous with cruel.” Logan said softly, watching Roman grunt as he pulled himself up onto the shelf with him.

Roman’s eyes widened, taking in Logan’s form as he finally reached the top. He ran over, fretting over Logan’s injuries rather than gathering up his hook. “Oh,  _Logan…_ ”

“I fell.” Logan repeated. “In the walls. I lost track of time and was trying to get home to prevent you from worrying.”

“Where does it hurt?” Roman asked, circling around his brother and looking a bit lost.

“My wrist, my back, my- don’t  _touch_ it!” Logan hissed, looking annoyed as Roman tried to grab for his arm. “What, do you want to make it worse?”

Roman was unnaturally pale. “Logan, that- that doesn’t look good.” Roman said quietly, confirming Logan’s fear. He took another look at his wrist which was gradually throbbing. They both knew what this meant: Logan would not be borrowing anytime soon.

“I- we- we’ll take care of it at home.” Even Roman sounded unsure of himself, going back and hurriedly grabbing his hook. “We might have enough provisions…um, I can increase the number of borrowing trips I go on…maybe Virgil can help now, if I give him something easy…”

“Wait, what?” Logan’s mind hadn’t fully caught on to what Roman was saying. “How exactly do you plan on getting me home?”

“Your legs aren’t broken.” Roman froze, turning back to him. “…right?”

“Well, no, but-“

“Then come on!” Roman insisted, carefully helping Logan to his feet. His younger brother was shaking, clearly weak as Logan’s form leaned heavily on Roman.

“But Amanda-“

“Will be back any moment.” Roman finished, dragging them both towards the door. They had to get out while they still had a chance. Just as Roman opened the door, Logan gave a groan. His legs buckled, and suddenly Roman felt the weight dramatically increase. He changed his grip, now fully supporting Logan. He looked over, realizing his brother had passed out.

Roman froze. What was  _wrong_ with Logan? A little injury shouldn’t do this, should it? He…Roman had to admit he didn’t know exactly how to treat Logan, but there was no other option. The borrower shifted Logan to carry him in his arms, heading into the dark tunnel and trying not to lose himself in his fear of what would happen.

\----------------------

Roman groaned, feeling strained even though he was hardly a room away. Now that the adrenaline of the moment was taking over, the eldest found he was quite exhausted. It was going to be a long journey back if he had to carry Logan the whole way.

He sighed, taking a moment to rest as he propped Logan up against the wall. Hopefully here they could be safe.

“Logan?” Roman asked cautiously, gently shaking Logan’s shoulder. “Logan, please tell me you can wake up.”

Logan gave a small groan, and this small sign of acknowledgement encouraged Roman to continue.

“Logan, c’mon, I can’t do this on my own.” Roman pleaded. “I just need you to stay with me a little longer, alright?”

Slowly, Logan’s eyelids fluttered open, the borrower lazily gazing up at Roman. Roman could almost cry at the sight- he had been quite worried there.

“There you are, buddy.” Roman said softly. “You gave me quite a scare there.”

“You did not have to be scared.” Logan mumbled.

“I didn’t have to-? Logan, I just rescued you from a human and you passed out in my arms.” Roman frowned, a bit annoyed at Logan’s calm attitude. “I didn’t even know if you were going to wake up! You’re not acting like yourself, and you’re in pain, and you’re…”

“S’ my concussion.” Logan interrupted sleepily.

“I…your what?” Roman paused, wondering if Logan was still half asleep and muttering nonsense.

“My concussion.” Logan repeated, more firm in his words. “It’s when you hit your head during a fall and your brain gets damaged.”

  
“How could your brain get damaged?” Roman scoffed at the idea. “It’s inside your thick skull.”

Logan glared at him, sitting up more. “Your brain can knock against the skull and get bruised. Amanda was telling me about it. She was researching more to help me. She’s also the one who cleaned my wounds.”

“Logan-”

“No!” Logan pointed at Roman with his good hand. “No, you listen to me. I understand your hesitation around Amanda, and I appreciate your misguided efforts. But if you remember nothing else I need you to understand that she was not the one who injured me. It was entirely my fault, a freak accident that happened in the walls, and Amanda was only attempting to assist me with my consent.”

Roman carefully read his brother’s expression. Where before Logan’s eyes had looked cloudy and lost, now his gaze looked determined as ever. Despite his better judgement, Roman found himself beginning to believe Logan. After all, Logan wasn’t stupid. He would know this was a safe space where he could confess that Amanda was truly dangerous…then again, Logan seldom liked to admit that he was wrong…

“So how do we fix this?” Roman asked. “This concussion, then.”

“Um…” Logan’s shoulders dropped slightly. “I…do not recall all of it. But I believe rest is optimal.”

“And…what about your wrist?” Roman and Logan both looked down at Logan’s wrist, which was currently held at an awkward angle.

“She did not get that far in her assistance.” Logan admitted.

“Alright.” Roman took a deep breath. “Maybe…I mean, we’ll splint it when we get home.” Roman didn’t know the first thing about splinting a broken wrist, but he recalled his father telling him a story about a borrower he met once who had to splint a broken leg or something. Or maybe it was an ankle.

“Whatever you say.” Logan murmured, his eyes beginning to droop again.

\----------------------

Virgil and Patton tensed, hearing a groan in the passage up ahead.

“Come on Logan, we have to go-”

“Ow! Stop aggravating it further!”

The  ~~baby~~  younger borrowers looked at each other, silently nodding to agree on a plan. However, it seemed their plans were not in fact the same. While Virgil was ready to sneak back the way they came (making sure Roman didn’t learn they snuck out, seeing as it sounded like he had this under control), Patton suddenly dashed ahead into the dark.

“Logan!” Patton cried, startling his older brothers terribly as he came into view.

“Patton!” Virgil hissed, right on his heels. Well, there was no point in hiding now.

“Patton? Virgil?” Logan’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, watching as Patton came to sit at his side. “What are you doing here?”  
  


“Yes,  _what_  are you doing here?” Roman crossed his arms, tapping his foot in annoyance. “I specifically instructed you to do nothing stupid.”

“…rescuing you?” Virgil mumbled, realizing how stupid it truly did sound out loud. A little gasp brought the attention back to Patton, who was looking over Logan’s injuries.

“Oh Logan, your wrist!” Patton cried.

“I will be fine, Patton.” Logan said, although as he held it out of Patton’s reach a pained expression crossed his face.

“It doesn’t look fine.” Virgil paled, coming closer to get a better look. A horrible taste filled his mouth at the sight.

“Logan fell.” Roman explained simply, leaving it at that. “I’ll deal with the two of  _you_  later. In the meantime, we have to get him home. Virgil, give me a hand.”

“Y-yeah, yeah, okay.” Virgil took a shaky breath, going to one side to drape Logan’s arm around his shoulders while Roman did the same on the other side. Roman handed his borrowing equipment to Patton, instructing him to turn on the little LED light and lead the way.

“I will be fine, Virgil.” Logan repeated, noticing the way Virgil tensed beneath his touch. “I am just…tired.”

“You don’t break your wrist by being tired.” Virgil retorted. Up front, Patton gave a whimper.

“Keep walking, Pat.” Roman instructed, keeping his voice soothing. “Everything’s fine back here.”

 _Don’t lie to him._ Virgil thought to himself, not wanting to scare Patton further. Patton paused only briefly, before giving a nod and continuing on with longer strides. 

\----------------------

Amanda groaned, putting her head in her hands as she sat with her back to her bedroom door. She wished she had the foresight to bring her phone- now she was just left to try and guess the time herself, a skill Amanda severely lacked. Too soon and the borrowers would yell at her, too late and she’d end up falling asleep out here. **  
**

“Locked out again?” Her RA paused to stand in front of her, wincing in sympathy.

Amanda gave her a tired glare, knowing she probably looked a mess. Her eyes were still red and puffy, a side effect of getting overwhelmed when a borrower verbally attacked her. “I’m fine.”

The RA raised an eyebrow but mercifully left her alone, clearly tired as well. Amanda was grateful for this as she just needed a moment to collect herself. Unfortunately, the hall was not the most private of spaces. Several girls gave her strange looks as they passed by, and Amanda could feel her already feeble reputation sinking even lower. Not that she much cared what her dorm mates thought, but it did lower her already crumbling morale. It was just one more kick to her side while she was down.

“I got you a spare key.” The RA had returned, holding a peace offering.

“…oh.” Amanda blinked, having not expected that. It was a nice gesture, even if right now it was the opposite of helpful.

“They are available at the front desk, you just have to ask.” RA lady explained, giving a smile.

 _I know- I’ve locked myself like once a week_. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Amanda stood up, giving a smile of her own as she took the key. “Thanks.”

“No problem. And remember, if you have any other issues, I’m right down the hall.” This time the RA left for real, although Amanda could still feel her eyes watching to make sure Amanda got inside. She sighed. Well, guess this had to be long enough. Hoping she wasn’t about to get scolded, Amanda opened the door to find…

…nothing.

“Um, hello?” Amanda called out cautiously. “Logan?” Pause. “Roman? Uh, other guy?”

There was no response. Amanda was torn. A part of her had hoped that Logan would be able to convince Roman to stay, but the other part was relieved to not get yelled at again. Roman was just a bit too much for Amanda to deal with tonight.

Besides, Logan probably hadn’t even tried to get him to stay, Amanda thought a bit bitterly. It didn’t matter if Amanda had only been trying to help; Amanda was still human, and Logan would choose his brother over her any day. Amanda didn’t necessarily blame that decision, but she still began to fret. Would Logan be okay? Borrowers weren’t exactly known for their extensive medical knowledge…

“Whatever.” Amanda shook her head, her eyes set on her bed. It couldn’t be her problem right now. Even if the borrowers hated her and never returned and all moved away and Logan freaking _died_ \- well, all of that could be morning Amanda’s problem. For now, her top priority had to be taking care of herself. At least now Logan had Roman; Amanda had nobody. 

\------------------

“Can we rest a moment?” Logan asked feebly. The past few hours he had been slumping further and further onto Roman’s shoulder.

“Just a little farther.” Roman murmured, soldiering on. “We’re almost home.”

“…is Logan gonna be okay?” Patton spoke up from the front, finally speaking what was on his mind. The question hung in the darkness, the only other sounds being the hum of the vent above them and a steady dripping somewhere below.

“I will be fine.” Logan said, not for the first time.

“You can’t even walk right.” Virgil hissed, clearly on edge as he adjusted his grip on Logan’s arm. Logan winced, biting his lip as Virgil’s fingers brushed against his injured hand.

“I am merely exhausted.” Logan argued. “Amanda was researching remedies and it seems that, with rest, I will make a full recovery.”  _Hopefully_.

“Amanda was helping you?” Patton sounded a mix of hopeful and confused. “But then…why did you leave?”

“Stay with a human? Pat, you’re insane.” Virgil spat. “Logan wouldn’t stand a chance against her like this.”

“It would be dangerous.” Logan admitted. “Even an accident could be fatal, and with my reflexes being so delayed it could be catastrophic.”

“…besides, he would miss us terribly there.” Roman spoke up, trying to brighten the mood. “This way we’ll all get to spend more time together. Patton, you can oversee taking care of him, alright?”

“Oh, sure thing!” Patton perked up, excited to be useful. “Um, I can get you food in bed, and lots of water, and make sure you’re nice and cozy so you can sleep your concussion off. I mean, if you want, Logan.”

“That sounds wonderful, Patton.” Logan assured him.

“Good luck resting.” Virgil smirked. “You’re gonna be smothered.”

\--------------------

It wasn’t long before the borrowers reached their little hole in the wall. Patton rushed ahead to Logan’s room, prepping the bed as his older brothers helped him follow. ‘Bed’ was a bit generous of a term. It was a large circular plastic sponge that had once been discarded, now cleaned and covered with a protective fabric covering. Atop it sat many blankets, a collection of fabric scraps and quilts that Patton had helped craft throughout the years.

“Is this enough?” Patton asked timidly, watching them help lay Logan into bed. “Um, here, I’ll go get some blankets from my bed, too.”

“You do that.” Roman agreed, adjusting one of the pillows to prop up Logan’s wrist. It was getting into the cold season, and if Logan woke up freezing it certainly wouldn’t help his recovery.

As Patton rushed off to get the blankets, Roman took another look at Logan’s injuries.

“And how are we gonna fix that?” Virgil pointed at Logan’s wrist. “Sleep, huh?”

“No.” Roman admitted, trying to figure out how to possibly splint such a break. It would certainly be helpful if Roman had ever even  _seen_  a splint before rather than just hearing stories. Noticing the hand was bleeding again, likely aggravated by travel, he turned to Virgil. “Fetch me some gauze, would you Virgil?”

Virgil nodded and hastily did as his brother requested. Roman took it, wrapping it tightly around the wounded hand. Logan winced, but otherwise gave no reaction. In fact, the moment he had been laid in bed Logan closed his eyes, and by the time Patton returned he was already asleep.

Patton paused, placing the blankets on top of Logan and tucking the borrower in. He climbed into bed next to Logan, placing a kiss on Logan’s forehead as he cuddled up next to him.

“You can sleep in here tonight, Patton.” Roman assured him, noticing the way the youngest was already settling in. It would be good to have an extra set of eyes on Logan during the night, and Patton’s blankets were already here as well. “We just need to find something to steady his wrist…”

“Will this do?” Virgil asked, already prepared with some cardboard and twine.

“…oh, ah, yes I suppose that could work.” Roman was clearly frazzled, having not even noticed Virgil leave the room a second time. He took the cardboard in hand, laying it length wise along Logan’s forearm. How tight should he tie it? Tight enough that it stayed in place but lose enough that the hand could still be felt…at least, that sounded correct. All of this was just guess work. With shaky hands Roman tugged the twine tight, making sure Logan’s wrist stayed steady. He lifted it up, inspecting his own work.

“Alright, not to toot my own horn, but this looks pretty good.” Roman announced. “But no one touch it, just in case. Patton, when he wakes up tomorrow remind him not to use it. I want the nerd in bed until I say otherwise, but I doubt he’ll want to get up anyways. If he needs something, you get it for him. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Patton saluted, looking absolutely serious.

“Virgil, if he needs any help, I need you to stay close and be a second assistant, alright?” Roman turned to Virgil. The fact that he got only a nod in response and not a sassy comment about work proved that Virgil was just as nervous as the rest of them.

“Alright, now let’s all get some rest.” Roman announced, standing up. “It’s been a stressful evening. I’m sure Logan will feel better with a little shut eye.”

Of course, as they headed off to their own bedrooms Roman wished he could be sure of his own words. It was frightening not knowing what was wrong with Logan, or how to fix it. All he could go off was some information from a  _human_  of all things, and even that was incomplete.


	14. A Deal with the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: This story is now an ask blog over at @amandas-discovery. Go check it out to follow the story and also please send in asks! Here updates will be far less frequent.

“Patton still asleep?” Roman asked, glancing up as Virgil entered the kitchen. He held a thimble of water between his hands, and looked as though he hadn’t slept well.

“Uh, yeah, Logan too.” Virgil uneasily took the seat across from Roman, unnerved by his older brother’s casual attitude. Roman never let them sleep in, though it wasn’t like Virgil had slept much anyways. “Did you sleep at all, Roman?”

“A little.” Roman lied. He looked down into his thimble. “I’ve been trying to sort this all out.”

“Yeah.” Virgil was quiet a moment. “Do you really believe all that stuff Logan was saying? I mean, it  _can’t_  be true…right?” Virgil looked to his older brother for guidance.

“I don’t know.” Roman shrugged honestly. “I mean, why would he lie?”

“Because he’s scared he’ll get hurt more?” Virgil sent an anxious glance down the hall.

“But that’s just it- he doesn’t  _seem_  scared.” Roman pointed out. “He’s just tired, and relieved. Not to mention he’s so out of it that I doubt he’d even have the energy to lie at this point.”

Virgil gave a small nod, eyes still on the hallway. “What are we going to do about his injuries?”

“I think we’ve done all we can.” Roman shrugged honestly. “Now we just have to wait and see.”

“What, you really think that’s going to be enough?” Virgil raised a judgmental eyebrow, facing Roman again.

“What do you expect from me, Virgil?” Roman suddenly snapped. “You want me to turn back time? Make it like none of this ever happened?”

“ _No_ , I was just hoping you had some answers.” Virgil shrunk back in his chair.

“Well, I don’t.” Roman huffed. “There, I said it. I’m not dad and Logan’s dying and I have no idea what to do about it.” As soon as the words left Roman’s lips he regretted them, watching as frightened tears began to collect in Virgil’s eyes.

“Virgil, I- I’m sorry.” Roman stuttered, getting up to comfort his baby brother. “Logan’s going to be fine-“

“STOP LYING TO ME!” Virgil yelled, knocking his chair over in his haste to get up. He glared at Roman, turning on his heel and running back to his room.

“Virgil!” Roman called after him, only getting the sound of a door slamming in response.

\------------------------

Patton winced, hearing the bedroom door slam as he sat curled up next to Logan. He could hear his brothers fighting, and it hurt his heart to hear. Next to him, Logan stirred with a moan, but Patton just shushed him.

“It’s alright, go back to sleep.” Patton said softly, pushing Logan’s bangs off his forehead. They were unusually damp to the touch, and when Patton made contact he was surprised to feel Logan so warm. Logan leaned into his touch, but otherwise didn’t wake.

Patton bit his lip, debating in his head. Was this normal? He didn’t know anything about how concussions were supposed to go.

“How is he?” Roman asked, poking his head in.

“He’s really warm.” Patton admitted, pulling his hand away so Roman could feel instead. “Do you think he’s sick? Do concussions make you sick?”

“I…I don’t know.” Roman admitted, paling as he placed his own hand against Logan’s face. He seemed torn, trying to decide something. “Wet a bit of paper towel, put it on his forehead. Take some of these blankets off, he’s probably just a bit stifled.”

“But I’m not too warm.” Patton spoke up hesitantly. “And I slept under all of these, too.”

Roman put his hand to Patton’s forehead, confirming this fact. “Just…do it anyways.” Roman shook his head, pulling away. “I’m going out for a bit. Ask Virgil if you need anything.”

“Okay.” Patton nodded, getting out of bed and beginning to do as Roman asked. Roman headed for the door, but he hesitated at the threshold.

“Hey, Pat?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.” Roman paused Patton’s actions, giving his youngest brother a hug.

“O-oh!” Patton was startled by the action, but he hugged Roman back. Roman seemed to grasp onto Patton more tightly than normal, a sure sign he was scared about something. “I love you too.”

“I’ll be back soon.” Roman’s voice cracked slightly, holding Patton in his embrace a moment longer. “I think I know how to fix Logan.”

“You do?” Patton pulled away just enough to look into Roman’s eyes. “How?”

“I’ll tell you if it works.” Roman responded, giving Patton’s head one last kiss. “I love you.”

“You said that already.” Patton reminded him.

“I know.” Roman smiled. “But I don’t say it enough.” He finally released Patton, hesitating at Logan’s bedside before giving Logan a kiss on his forehead as well, then heading out the door for good.

\---------------------------

Amanda yawned, stretching her arms up as she slowly woke her brain. The sun was shining through her window, indicating she had slept far longer than intended. No matter- she had needed it.

A buzzing to her left caught her attention. Amanda picked up the phone, putting it to her ear.

“Hey mom. Yeah, sorry, I just got up. I’ll head out in just a sec, I promise. Okay, yep, love you too. See you soon.”

\-------------------------

Roman found himself shaking, more frightened than he had been the night before. Last night had been easy to focus on Logan needing him and nothing else. Now Logan still needed him, but there was no adrenaline in Roman’s veins.

It was strangely quiet this morning, somber in the walls to match his mood. All the college students must be sleeping late again. It was odd for Roman to be out and about this late in the morning; usually, he would be done with his nightly borrowing and safe at home for the day. It was dangerous going out in the daytime because you had a higher chance of being seen.

Of course, for once, Roman was counting on that.

Roman nearly found himself backtracking the closer he got to the hole in the wall. This was  _insane_. What sort of borrower revealed himself to a human, anyhow?

…well, Roman had. Last night. But that didn’t count.

This was more intentional. When before he had been driving the human away to get to Logan, now the human was his actual target. He couldn’t just wait for her to leave and take what he needed because Roman didn’t  _know_  what he needed. It wasn’t as simple as grabbing some gauze or borrowing a few spoonfuls of medicine. First and foremost Roman needed information. He needed to know what was wrong with Logan and he needed to know  _now_.

“This is ridiculous.” Roman scoffed quietly, pacing back and forth in front of the exit. “What am I supposed to say? ‘Sorry I tried to stab you, now tell me what’s wrong with Logan?’ Like  _that’s_  going to work. And I’m not even sorry, anyhow.”

Roman froze in place, suddenly very aware of a shifting beyond the drywall. He pressed his ear against it, desperate to get a grasp on the situation. Roman heard the familiar buzz of a cell phone.

“Hey mom. Yeah, sorry, I just got up.” Her voice rumbled through the walls. Roman gulped, not for the first time wondering if he could go through with this. He pressed his ear closer, eavesdropping further. “I’m just gonna eat something and then head out.”

Wait… Roman’s face fell. She was  _leaving_? No, no no no! She couldn’t  _leave_! That wasn’t how this was supposed to go at all!

“Okay Roman.” Roman pressed his hands to his temples, rubbing circles as he talked this through. “It’s go time. Are we doing this? You’ve got one shot. What’s it gonna be? Clock’s ticking. Logan’s not looking so hot.” Roman shuddered in memory. The image of his snarky younger brother looking so pale and beaten in bed was harrowing. He would do anything to fill Logan with life again, even if it meant giving up his own.

All this human business is what had placed Logan in danger in the first place, and Roman was more than willing to sacrifice himself instead. Roman could become the human’s little pet, passing his borrowing duties off to Virgil.  _Oh frick, I didn’t say goodbye to Virgil._ Roman bit his thumbnail. Should he go back? No, no maybe the human would let him have some freedom too. There was still a chance he’d see his brothers again, right?

Whatever the answer, Roman had to take that risk. He was out of options, and- by the sound of things- out of time. He heard the sound of the large dorm room door opening, and knew it was now or never. Roman sprinted for the exit, shoving it open and rushing out onto the shelf.

“WAIT!” Roman cried out, stopping a very startled human in her tracks.

\---------------------

“…Can I help you?” Amanda asked, slowly closing the door.

Roman gulped, once again intimidated by the pressure of it all. He put his hand at his needle, which at this point had almost become a coping mechanism. The borrower stood taller, trying to display confidence. “I- I need to know what you did with Logan!”

 _“I_  didn’t do anything.” Amanda frowned, and Roman realized that might not have been the best thing to say.

“No, wait!” Roman said hurriedly, watching Amanda place her hand on the doorknob. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I know you didn’t hurt him.”  _This time._ Roman added on in his head; he wasn’t sure about the past, although if Logan had gotten injured Roman certainly hadn’t noticed. “I meant his condition. How you figured out he had a concussion.”

“Oh.” Amanda’s hand dropped from the handle, and Roman took this as a good sign. If he could keep the human entertained, maybe she would be amused enough to help him.

“I’m here to offer a trade.” Roman announced, sticking out his chest. “You tell me how to heal him, and you can keep me instead.”

“Wait, what?” Now Amanda just looked baffled, and Roman was proud that he stood his ground as she slowly got closer. “I…that doesn’t even make any sense. If I told you but kept you, what good would that do Logan?”

“W-well,” Roman internally scolded himself at the way his voice trembled, starting to picture the future that lay ahead of him, “you let Logan visit us on multiple occasions, and I was hoping you would do the same with me.”

“Yeah, because he lives there.” Amanda pulled out her chair, sitting at the desk and now  _far_  too close for Roman’s liking. How did Logan stand this? His brother must be braver than Roman gave him credit. “But your logic is still flawed. If I let you go, there’s no way for me to guarantee you’d come back.”

Roman felt himself paling, realizing the human really did hold all the cards. He could be trapped here and have done  _nothing_ to help his family.

“Please,” Roman pleaded, “I promise you, I give you my word that I’ll come back, if only you tell me what’s wrong with Logan. I swear on my father’s grave that I will return. I shall do whatever you ask, never trying to get away, if you help me heal Logan. I would do anything for my brother, surely even you could understand that.”

\------------------------

Amanda let Roman drone on a few minutes, taking a bit of sadistic pleasure in watching the borrower squirm. After all, it seemed like rightful payback, considering she wasn’t actually doing anything to him and just letting his imagination run wild. Finally Amanda took mercy on him and raised her hand. Immediately Roman quieted down. **  
**

“It’s alright, Roman.” Amanda gave him a smile. “I’ll help you.”

Roman looked at her, amazed. “You will?”

“Yeah, of course I will.” Amanda was already pulling out her laptop. “I’d do anything to help Logan too, you know. Let me just google his symptoms to see what’s up and if we need to do anything.” She really hoped it wouldn’t just say ‘get professional help’ as, well, there weren’t exactly tiny ambulances coming around.

“What’s a google?” Roman asked, tilting his head in an adorable fashion.

“Uh, it’s a collection of human’s knowledge on a whole bunch of things, and you can ask it questions to see if other humans know the answer.” Amanda explained it in the same way she had to Logan. “If you tell me what’s wrong with him specifically, it should tell us how to fix him.”

\------------------------

“Alright.” Amanda said, scribbling down the last of her notes on a piece of paper. “This should be everything.”

“What, everything?” Roman looked unsure.

“Well, everything from what I can guess.” Amanda shrugged. “From what you said, I think he might have a broken wrist as well as his concussion.” She put the piece of paper in front of him, and Roman quickly took a few steps back as she pointed to the columns. “This is a list of symptoms. If they happen, they’re normal. Well, except for these ones, but um… well, if those happen I’ll be back by Sunday anyways and we can figure it out. This is a list of treatments that correspond to those symptoms. Just follow the list and you should be fine. Uh, do you know how to operate a laptop?”

Roman stared at the computer, shaking his head.

“Okay, guess it won’t really help if I leave that behind then.” Amanda shrugged. “Oh well. I can teach you about it later I guess. Anyways, I’ll leave the first aid kit out and you can grab whatever you need. Any questions?” 

Again, Roman just shook his head, surprised how thorough these instructions were. If this was really all they needed to do, Roman was certainly more at ease.

“Do you have a cell phone?” Amanda asked suddenly.

“What?” Roman’s eyebrows furrowed, looking up at the human. “Why on earth would I have a cell phone?”

“I dunno, borrowers borrow weird stuff.” Amanda shrugged. “Sometimes in stories they have them.”

“Well, this isn’t a story.” Roman huffed, folding up the paper. He certainly wished this was all just pretend. 

“Okay, no need to get huffy.” Amanda rolled her eyes, getting up. She grabbed the first aid kit, setting it open next to Roman. “I was just going to suggest you call me if you have any questions, but considering I only have one phone that’s not going to work very well if I leave it here. I’ll just be back early Sunday, alright?”

“Yes, yes.” Roman waved her off, looking through the medical kit. Frankly, now that he had the information he was eager to get going as soon as possible back home.

“…hey.” Amanda’s voice was softer, causing Roman to look up at her. The human already had her bag over one shoulder. “Everything’s going to be okay, I promise. Logan’s going to be fine.”

Roman paused. That was the first time that statement had been said and Roman actually believed it.

“I…thank you.” Roman said earnestly. Amanda didn’t need to help him, she could have just kept Roman and let Logan die. “Thank you for saving my brother.”

“Anytime.” Amanda gave him a sincere smile, looking pleased with his gratitude. She gave a small wave, heading out the door. “Well, I’ve got to get going. See you later, Roman!”

 _See you later_ …? Oh, right. As the door shut with a resounding thud, Roman was harshly reminded of his end of this bargain. He would likely be seeing a lot of Amanda in the days to come.

\------------------

Logan groaned, his head pounding. Why was his head pounding? Logan tried to remember back for any sort of clue, but that only made the pain worse. Where was he? He tried to open his eyes, but the lids felt so heavy Logan couldn’t even flutter them. The surface underneath him felt soft, familiar. It was comforting in this sea of unknown.

Logan let out another groan, a shot of pain shooting up his body as his nerves began to awaken. His wrist was on fire. His back throbbed. What happened? Why was he like this? Why couldn’t he form coherent words?

Someone was speaking to him. Logan was sure of that, but he was still too exhausted to make out what they were saying. His name? Reassurances? The voice cracked, and Logan’s cheeks suddenly felt wet. Why was this person crying? Logan felt the need to comfort them, but his limbs wouldn’t listen.

 _Go back to sleep._  His body seemed to say, every particle in his being feeling tired once more. Logan didn’t want to sleep. How long had he been asleep already? It seemed there were a lot of questions floating around in Logan’s brain, and yet no answers.

 _Go back to sleep._ His subconscious repeated, and Logan slowly felt more compelled to obey. With a sad sigh Logan allowed himself to succumb to the darkness, lulled back into an uneasy rest.

\------------------

Patton sniffed, wiping at his nose and wishing he knew what to do. Logan  _still_  hadn’t woken up, and it was nearing mid afternoon. Where was Roman? Where had he gone? It was getting almost frightening being alone as he lay by Logan’s side, but Patton refused to go anywhere else. The only exception was when he had tried to knock on Virgil’s door and just got yelled at. It seemed Virgil wanted to be left alone to fret, while Patton wanted to do it as a family. It wasn’t exactly an ideal combination.

Patton suddenly raised his head, hearing the creak of the front door. “Be right back.” Patton promised Logan, rushing out the door. Roman was there, hanging up his bag and looking almost like he was trying to hide it.

“Roman!” Patton rushed over to him, fresh tears welling in his eyes as the sight of his brother brought on a new wave of emotions. “Logan hasn’t woken up, and-and he’s still all hot, and he’s been murmuring in his sleep…”

“Patton, it’s alright.” Roman reached out, squeezing his shoulders. “I know what to do.”

“You…you do?” This gave Patton pause. When he last saw Roman the borrower had been so unsure of himself. “But how? Where’d you go?”

“Ah…it’s a secret.” Roman winced. “But it’s also not important. Right now we need to focus on making Logan comfortable. We’ll need to get a cool paper towel on his forehead for his fever, and ah…” Roman seemed to lose his train of thought for a moment, glancing at his bag. “Well, let’s start there. You do that, and I’ll get unpacked, and then give you the next step, okay?”

“Okay.” Patton nodded. He rushed into the kitchen, gently wetting a small piece of towel in the basin sitting in the corner. It was an old sugar container, repurposed as a covered water jug but its previous purpose meant that most of their water ended up tasting a bit sweet.

After ringing out the excess, Patton returned to Logan’s room, folding it carefully onto his brother’s forehead. Roman came in, watching his delicate movements.

“When’s he going to wake up?” Patton asked, giving Roman a worried glance.

“I’m not sure, but you don’t have to worry.” Roman answered. “He’s just exhausted. His body is probably trying to sleep through all this, and hitting your head can make you drowsy. If he’s not awake by tonight we should probably rouse him to eat something, but if he’s content to keep sleeping I say let him. It will certainly do him some good on the way to recovery.”

“And…what about his wrist?” Patton pointed at the bandages.

“It might be broken.” Roman admitted. “But, for now that’s a good enough split. Our main goals there are to keep him from using that hand for a few days and to keep the swelling down.”

“Really? That’s all?” Patton thought it sounded simple enough.

“Mhmm.” Roman nodded. “I’ve got some other supplies in my bag, too. Some better bandages and a bit of medicine for if he wakes up feeling terrible again. Once he’s awake we should also check his back for any injuries, but I think he’ll just be sore.”

“Wow, you really do know what to do.” Patton said, impressed.

“Yeah.” Roman gave him a sad sort of smile. “I do now.”

\----------------------

Roman and Patton stayed sat at Logan’s bedside, chatting away quietly. A knock came at the door, and they looked up to see a nervous Virgil shifting from foot to foot.

“…Hey.” Virgil said awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Is he, uh, is Logan doing any better?”

“Logan’s gonna be fiii _\- ahem_.” Roman coughed, deciding to avoid the ‘fine’ word. “Yes, he’s doing better. He should be awake any moment.”

“Good. That’s…yeah, that’s good.” Virgil nodded, still fidgeting. “I just didn’t know.”

“Well you could have come to see him.” Patton reminded him, his tone snippier than was normal for the positive ball of energy. Virgil winced.

“Yeah, I deserve that.” Virgil muttered. His eyes still didn’t leave Logan’s figure, so Roman offered up his seat.

“Here, you can come see him, I’ll fix dinner.” Roman gestured to the bed, walking past Virgil. “He doesn’t bite.”

Hesitantly, Virgil came forwards, sitting on the bed. Patton didn’t acknowledge him, continuing to dab at Logan’s forehead with a damp paper towel.

“Do you need some help?” Virgil offered.

“Not anymore.” Patton gave him a look, but it was more sad than angry.

Virgil gave a tired sigh. “Patton, look, I’m sorry. I just… couldn’t face him like this. It freaks me out. But I know you were freaking out too, and I kind of abandoned you there. Some older brother I am, I guess. So I’m sorry for not helping out earlier, and I hope you’ll forgive me.”

This time Patton gave him a soft smile. “Of course I forgive you.” Patton said, holding out the towel for Virgil to take a turn.

\-----------------------

When Logan came to a second time, it was to the feeling of something wet being applied to his forehead.

“Wait, he’s waking up.” The voice that spoke sounded close, and the dabbing on his face stopped. “Logan? Are you with us, kiddo?”

Logan groaned in response, trying to force the words out of his lips. How long had he slept this time? It was impossible to tell, as it was just as dark as before. A hesitant hand brushed against his hair, and Logan leaned into the touch. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing two familiar faces staring back at him.

“There you are.” Patton said softly, giving him a smile. Virgil kept running his fingers through Logan’s hair. The repeated motion was likely giving Virgil stability as well as providing comfort for Logan.

“How are you feeling?” Virgil asked.

“m’ tired.” Logan mumbled, the words coming out slurred.

“Well that’s silly.” Patton giggled. “You’ve been asleep a whole day.”

“I have?” Logan’s eyebrows furrowed, confused by that information. “…good for me.”

\------------------------

“Finally.” Virgil raised an eyebrow when Roman returned, some fruit cut up on a tray in his hands. “What took you so long?” ****

“Ah, I just got lost in thought I guess.” Roman shrugged, not wanting to get into the details of the terrible places his mind had drifted. He set the tray down on the matchbox, looking over to the bed. “Oh! Logan, you’re awake! Aww, you feeling any better, buddy?”

Logan gave him the sluggish glare of a toddler. “Don’t patronize me.”

Roman laughed at that. Logan certainly sounded better. He started to sit up, and immediately Roman was at his side. “Watch your wrist.” He murmured, helping prop Logan up.

“Want something to eat, Lo?” Patton asked, already climbing down to go grab some fruit.

“Yes, I could eat.” Logan nodded. Patton brought him some, helping him carefully eat the blueberry with as little mess as possible. Some inevitably dripped, but no one mentioned it.

“So, since you’re looking in better spirits, I was thinking we should all do some family bonding.” Roman smiled, clapping his hands together. “Who’s up for storytime?”

“Storytime?” Virgil raised an eyebrow, biting into his own fruit as he sat now retreated in the corner. “We’re not ten anymore, you know.”

“Or, we could draw.” Roman went on excitedly. “Make some snacks, play checkers, or just talk.”

“I thought we were already talking.” Patton frowned.

“Well, we  _are_ , but…special talk.” Roman pressed. “I feel like there’s a lot to talk about between us.”

The other three looked at each other.

“I mean…I don’t think so.” Patton admitted with a shrug. “We already know what happened to Logan, and now it’s just a matter of time until he gets better.”

“Unless you want to tell us where you went today.” Virgil said, taking a large bite of his berry.

“Oh, I just went on a supply run.” Roman waved off his concerns. “No big deal.”

“Then there’s nothing to talk about.” Virgil gave him a look that said ‘checkmate’.

“Roman, as much as I appreciate your efforts,” Logan spoke, gaining their attention, “I am still exhausted.”

 _“Already_?” Patton looked astounded at this. “But you were asleep forever!”

“I need rest to recover.” Logan explained, his eyelids already flickering. “Perhaps we can do something tomorrow.”

“I…” Roman looked around the room with a pause, seeing faces that matched his own level of tired. “…yeah, I mean, I guess tomorrow works. Let’s shoot for an early morning rising then, yeah?”

“Why the rush?” Virgil asked. “Got somewhere to be?”

“No, but it never helps to sleep the day away.” Roman insisted.

“I dunno, I think it sounds pretty awesome.” Virgil looked over to the bed. “Hey Logan, is it cool sleeping the day away?”

Logan gave a tired nod, although it could have just been him sinking back into the pillows. His eyes were closed.

“Logan says it’s cool.” Virgil grinned triumphantly.

“Well, Logan’s wrong.” Roman huffed. “Now get to bed or I’m dragging you out in the morning myself.”

\------------------------

“…I don’t get it.” Virgil said finally, looking across the breakfast table at Roman. “You’ve been acting fishy all weekend.”

“So?” Roman avoided his question, still nibbling away at the cheerio held in his hand like a human would a doughnut.

“ _So,_ you were a mess before.” Virgil reminded him.

“So were you.” Roman retorted.

“Yeah, but I’m always a mess.” Virgil squinted. “How come you’re not more freaked out about Logan’s life?”

“Because he’s going to be alright.” Roman assured him.

“Well yeah, but how did you know that? You didn’t know that.” Virgil paused, a terrible thought passing through his brain that wasn’t quite welcome. “You didn’t…did you?”

Roman stopped chewing. “Do what?”

“I mean, I know you’re stupid, but you wouldn’t  _really_ go to a human for help, right?” Virgil’s fingers began to twitch, and Roman grabbed his hand, rubbing soothing circles on the back of Virgil’s hand.

“Of course not.” Roman said softly. “Besides, she’s not even there.”

Virgil’s eyebrows shot up. That wasn’t a reassuring answer. “How do you know that?”

“I’ve been checking in.” Roman explained. “Making sure she wasn’t planning anything with Logan. Calm down, Virgil. I promise you, nothing is going to happen. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

\----------------------------

“Good morning, everybody!” Patton greeted, helping a sleepy Logan into the kitchen.

“Ah, Logan, you’re looking better.” Roman praised, pulling out a chair for him.

“As are you.” Logan told him, sitting down.

“Roman wasn’t sick.” Virgil reminded him gently.

Logan looked puzzled. “…he wasn’t?”

“So!” Roman clapped his hands together, regaining attention. “I have a fun surprise for you all to lighten the mood.” Roman walked down the hall, returning with several scraps of paper and his treasured bin of art supplies.

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Roman, you don’t have to-“

“But I  _want_ to.” Roman insisted, setting the box down. He opened the top, pleased to see all three brothers staring in awe. Roman was very protective of his pencil tips and crayon shards, and only rarely did his brothers catch even a glimpse of them. Everyone knew better than to touch them, so it took some goading from Roman for each to grab one in turn.

“I thought some drawing might be fun.” Roman smiled. “And, in the spirit of not keeping things from each other, I wanted to share these with all of you.”

“…you’re certain?” Logan inspected his green pencil tip cautiously.

“I’m certain.” Roman nodded.

\----------------------

“Alright, that was the last round.” Amanda declared, setting down her controller.

“What? Nooooo!” Annie flopped into her lap, looking up at Amanda pitifully.

“I told you I had to leave early today.” Amanda reminded her, gently pushing her off and getting up to collect her bags.

“Whatcha doing up at school today, sweetheart?” Her mother asked, stepping in her way to give the college student a hug.

“Oh, just some more film stuff.” Amanda lied. She did have to write more of her script, but mostly she was anxious to get back in case Logan needed her. It had been fun seeing everybody for their dance recital, but it was time to go. Annie, of course, was still put off. “Aww, c’mon Annie Bananie, don’t pout. We can play next time.”

“You’re leaving?” Abbi asked, noting the way she threw her backpack over one shoulder. “When are you next coming home?”

“Andrew’s coming next weekend.” Their mom reminded Amanda.

“I’ll see if I can make it then.” Amanda assured her. “If not, I’ll be back the next for thanksgiving.”

“Oh yeah.” Annie seemed to perk up at this reassurance.

“LEX!” Amanda called up the stairs. “I’M LEAVING!”

There was a pounding heard above, as Lex came nearly tumbling down the stairs in her haste. She paused a few steps up, throwing on a disinterested expression. “Bye loser.”

Amanda chuckled, giving her a hug. A puppy was blocking the door, so Amanda gently eased her out of the way, scratching Phoebe behind the ears and taking a minute to coo at her.

“Alright, bye family!” Amanda called, hearing a few replies as she left for her car. Hopefully the borrowers survived in her absence.

\--------------------

“Roman?”

“Hmm?” Roman looked to his brother, tearing his gaze away from where he had been staring at the ticking second hand.

“Are you alright?” Logan asked, concerned. “You’re quite enthralled with the watch.”

“I- yes, I’m alright.” Roman shook his head. “I’ve just forgotten something. I need to go out.”

“Can we come?” Patton said hopefully.

“No, no, not this time.” Roman gathered up his bag. “You two need to stay here and take care of your brother. Both of you this time.”

Virgil winced. “Yeah, uh, sounds good.”

Out of habit Roman almost said ‘be back soon’. Instead his mouth opened for a moment, pausing as he tried to find the right words. It seemed it didn’t matter though, as everyone had turned their attention back to the coloring at hand. They weren’t even going to notice his exit, but maybe that was for the best.

Without another word, Roman left.

\------------------

Roman paced back and forth on the shelf, wringing his hands anxiously. It was time. He knew this was coming, and yet he still wasn’t ready. What was going to happen to him? Was Amanda finally going to show her true nature? The borrower couldn’t keep the horrible thoughts of his fate to come out of his head.

“Stop that.” Roman scolded himself, trying to shake the thoughts away. He could do this; he could submit. Roman would just be on his best behavior, putting his life into Amanda’s palms and hoping she would be gentle with it.

Roman’s head jerked back to the door, hearing the familiar click of the doorknob turning. No, Roman certainly wasn’t ready.

\----------------

Amanda let out a sigh of relief, thankful to be back in her dorm. She set her bag down on the bed, beginning to unpack her laundry from the short weekend trip when the tiniest cough interrupted her. Amanda turned, trying to blink away her surprise.

“Roman!” Amanda gained a grip on herself. “I-you’re back.” She truly hadn’t expected to see him again unless something terrible happened.

“Yes, as promised.” Roman seemed unusually tense, even for him, and Amanda felt a slight sense of dread.

“Oh no, how’s Logan?” Amanda bit her lip, worried the borrower’s condition had gotten worse.

“Logan is fine.” Roman seemed to close his eyes when Amanda came closer, so she stopped. “I thank you for your assistance.”

“You’re welcome.” Amanda’s voice didn’t have its usual pep, in fact her tone was more concerned. Clearly, she made Roman uncomfortable, so why was he here? “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m okay.” Roman let out a long sigh, opening his eyes. “I’m ready.”

Before Amanda could even ask what he was ready for, Roman got down on one knee.

_…what._


	15. Miscommunications are Never Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: This story is now an ask blog over at @amandas-discovery. Go check it out to follow the story and also please send in asks! Here updates will be far less frequent.

Roman forced his hands not to shake, unsheathing his sword as he stayed on bended knee. Amanda stood looming over him, not saying a word as he raised it in his palms.

“Here.” Roman explained, his head bowed. The borrower couldn’t meet her eye, saying it was out of respect but deep down Roman knew it was out of fear. “For you.”

He flinched, and her hand seemed to hesitate.

“Take it!” He insisted, knowing he shouldn’t snap at his captor but too wound up to wait any longer.

“Okay!” A moment later the sword left his grasp, and even though she had done as he asked Roman felt ready to cry.

“You… didn’t have to give me your sword, you know.” Amanda’s tone was unreadable, bordering on displeased. Roman tensed, standing back up and putting his hands behind his back.

“It’s a show of trust.” Roman explained, his voice soft and hesitant. He felt more than saw Amanda lean closer to catch his voice, and Roman forced himself to stand his ground. “Consider it my way of demonstrating I won’t fight back.”

“Fight back…?”

“Yes ma’am, I promise to be well behaved.” Roman assured her. “I won’t run. I won’t hide.” While he promised his life away, Roman’s thoughts drifted back to his brothers. He tried to imagine what their home life would be like now that he was out of the picture; probably not much different, considering how often he had gone borrowing. Why hadn’t he spent more time with them?

“Roman, you’re shaking.” Amanda observed quietly. Roman didn’t know when that began.

“I’m sorry.” Roman tensed his muscles, trying to get it to stop. “Whatever you want of me, I will obey.” This was not how he wanted to present himself, so vulnerable and useless, but perhaps this was all of him that was left. Amanda’s hand came down again, and Roman whimpered, unable to look as he expected those fingers to wrap tightly around his chest.

A quiet clattering reached his ears. Roman opened his eyes, surprised to see the needle laying at his feet.

\----------------

Amanda watched as the borrower finally looked up, meeting her own expression that was an ugly mix of horrified and amused.

“What the  _hell_?” Amanda’s awkward laugh went a bit high-pitched near the end, showing off her own confusion. “Roman. What the hell are you doing.”

Roman did not take kindly to her laughter, ducking his head again with a scowl. “I’m trying to accept my fate with dignity.”

“What fate?!” Amanda nearly shrieked, and when Roman flinched she remembered to keep her voice down. Amanda sat in her desk chair, now below the borrower and forcing him to once again meet her eye. “Dude, you’re gonna have to tell me what the frick you’re talking about. Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you, but I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Our deal!” Roman insisted, his arms still pressed firmly behind his back and the sword lying at his feet.

 _“What. Deal_.” Amanda emphasized, feeling like she was pulling teeth with how hard it was to gain answers.

\---------------

Roman grit his teeth. She was really going to make him come out and say it, huh? “You told me how to heal Logan. In exchange for that information, I promised you my life.”

Amanda let out a very audible groan, and Roman wasn’t sure how he had made her so annoyed.

“ _That’s_  what this is about?” Amanda said incredulously. “I repeat, what the hell. Why would I want that?”

“What?” Roman made his own face of confusion now.

“That doesn’t even make any sense!” Amanda groaned again, this time putting her head in her hands. “Good lord, you’re so stupid.”

“I- I am not!” Roman protested, beginning to think he had made a big mistake in coming here.

“Why would I even want you?” Amanda argued. “You literally hate me and you pull stuff like this, trying to make me out to be the bad guy and twisting my words. I don’t want to keep you.  _Any_  of you. Ugh, you’re so annoying.”

Roman looked at her. “Truly?”

“Yes! Truly! Whatever!” Amanda felt her anger from the first time she met Roman returning.

“Then- then stay away from Logan!” Roman’s own fire seemed to have returned as well, grabbing up his sword.

\----------------

“Ooh, wow, now you’re back to threatening me with a sewing needle.” Amanda sneered.

Roman paused, a bit unsure on his feet. Hadn’t this worked before? “I’m warning you, leave my family alone.”

“You just don’t get it, do you?” Amanda leaned forwards. “Logan  _wants_  to visit me, and you just don’t seem capable of accepting that.”

“Lies!” Roman swung his weapon, but the arch didn’t come close to reaching her face.

“Ask Logan yourself then, you idiot.” Amanda insisted, fed up with this behavior. “You’re acting like a child.”

“You’re acting like a child.” Roman mimicked, his arm falling to his side.

“Logan is  _fine_ , I’m not going to hurt him. Or you, despite your intent to stab me in the eye.” Amanda scowled at the needle. She took a deep breath, forcing her expression to calm down. Clearly, she had to be the adult here. (How old was Roman, anyways?)

“I’m sorry I freaked you out earlier.” Amanda apologized. “Even if it’s entirely your fault for misunderstanding.”

Roman just glared at her, and Amanda realized she was apologizing like Logan.

“Let’s just… start over.” Amanda sighed. “Here’s my own show of trust. Hi, I’m Amanda.” Amanda stuck her hand out, cautiously offering a shake.

Roman seemed to consider it a moment. He took a step forward, and Amanda watched almost in slow motion as he predictably brought up his needle for a stab.

“OW!” Amanda reacted, too slow in pulling her hand back. Her expression darkened. “Why, you little-“ Before she even knew what she was doing her hand was wrapped tightly around the borrower, lifting him higher.

\---------------------

Amanda froze, realizing she had made a terrible mistake as she looked down and took in Roman’s terrified expression. “I’m sorr-“

“Please don’t kill me!” Roman broke down, and Amanda could feel him shaking between her fingers. If she focused, beneath her thumb Amanda felt the borrower’s frantic heartbeat.

“No, no I promise I wo-“

“I’ll do anything, I swear!” Roman continued to beg, interrupting her again. “I promise I’ll be good, I’ll be yours, I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Oh my god, for the last time-“

“Please, if there’s any kindness, in your heart, spare me.” Roman cried.

“STOP!” Amanda felt her voice raise, and Roman flinched at her volume. She couldn’t help it; even when she was trying to reassure Roman that she didn’t mean him harm, the borrower still refused to listen. Unbelievable.

\--------------------

Amanda sighed. How was she supposed to be getting along with borrower kind now if she couldn’t convince Roman? And now of course she had managed to just screw things up further. What was going to happen when Roman went back? Would Logan even bother showing up here again?

“I’m sorry.” Amanda said softly, loosening her grip. The moment she did Amanda felt a familiar sharp sensation on her palm, and with a yelp she instinctively grabbed harder.

“I’m sorry!” Roman gasped. “That one was an accident, truly, I swear.”

Amanda wasn’t sure if she believed him but she opened up her hand, pulling the needle away from the borrower easily to prevent further stabbings. She transferred Roman over to her other hand, checking her wound. This one definitely needed a band aid.

“What are you going to do with me?” Roman asked quietly, and despite her gentle grip he didn’t seem to be trying to wriggle out.

“I’m not going to  _do_  anything!” Amanda groaned. Whatever. Maybe it wasn’t even worth convincing Roman if he wasn’t going to listen; she should just set him loose before she could screw up more.

“Just…get out of here.” Amanda muttered, dumping Roman onto the shelf. She stabbed the needle down into the wood to let off some of her anger and return the weapon all at once. Roman gave a yelp but Amanda didn’t even pay him any mind, still focused on her injury.

“Bye, Roman.” Amanda walked away, heading into the bathroom for the bandages.

Of course, if she had paid more attention, Amanda would have noticed that in her haste she had stabbed the needle down through the fabric of Roman’s pants, dodging the little borrower’s leg but leaving him effectively pined to the shelf.

Amanda realized her mistake when she came back to see the borrower struggling, but he froze at her return.

 _Whoops_. Amanda thought to herself. But then again…was it really her fault? She didn’t think so. And frankly, if he couldn’t get out of it himself, Amanda didn’t feel like rescuing him. Still Amanda felt wound up and too frustrated to be safe around the tiny people, so instead Amanda just flopped onto her bed. Served him right for being a jerk.

\-------------------

Roman froze, still tugging at his pants leg when the human returned. He expected to face a harsher consequence now, punishment for stabbing her  _twice._ Honestly, the action hadn’t felt as rewarding as Roman had hoped, especially considering the small heart attack that came next. Roman  _never_ wanted to find himself in such a terrifying position again, no sir, not when it seemed there was nothing Roman could do. He couldn’t fight against such strong fingers, and even his words seemed to only make her angrier.

However, to Roman’s surprise, Amanda… ignored him? She instead flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Roman watched her for a moment, wondering what game she was playing. Deciding it was relatively safe to continue, Roman tried vainly to tug at his sword once more. Unfortunately, her trap seemed sturdy enough. The needle was dug so deep into the wood that Roman could not remove it on his own.

Roman’s gaze fell back on the human, a sense of unease overtaking him. It felt so much worse to sit here and wait for his fate. Roman squirmed a bit.

“What are you gonna do to me now?” Roman asked finally. Amanda groaned, covering her face with a pillow.

\-----------------

Amanda kept her face covered for a long while, waiting for her blood pressure to die down. When she finally pulled the pillow away and looked over at Roman, Amanda felt a lot of things- sadness, exhaustion, pity- but not anger. That was gone.

“I’m sorry about the pin.” Amanda admitted, startling Roman. He had been staring off into space. “I didn’t mean to make you stuck here.”

“…you didn’t?” Roman sounded confused. That was at least an improvement from endless accusations.

“I really don’t want you to stay here.” Amanda stared back at the ceiling. “Any of you. Not forever, at least. It’s fun when Logan visits, but I’d never want to take him away from you. I don’t want to hurt anyone, I just want to be friends.”

“Then why am I still pinned to a shelf?” Roman deadpanned.

“Fair point.” Amanda rolled over, now on her stomach and facing him. “Well, originally I was just trying to get you to leave, but then I was mad so I kinda took my anger out on your need-uh, sword, and then accidentally you because I have terrible aim. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Roman shook his head. “That didn’t answer my question though.”

“No, while, after I realized my mistake I didn’t trust myself to take out the pin while angry.” Amanda realized it was almost like a grenade pin at this point, set to explode in her face. “I assumed you could get out.”

“Well, I can’t.” Roman crossed his arms. “So…. come unpin me  _now,_ thank you very much.”

\-------------------

“…no.” Amanda decided.

“No?” Roman frowned. “What do you mean, ‘ _no_ ’?”

“Roman, obviously- well, I guess obviously to me- I’m not going to keep you here.” Amanda assured him. “And I’ll unpin you in a minute, but I think I deserve a chance for you to actually listen to me.”

“I’m not listening to anything you have to say.” Roman huffed.

“Fine.” Amanda shrugged, having expected as much. “But I have all night.”

\------------------

“…fine.” Roman conceded, realizing he wasn’t exactly in a position to argue. Besides, it was just talking. It wasn’t as though Amanda would even be asking him questions that could reveal borrower secrets. “What do you have to say to me?”

“I think you’re being totally unfair.” Amanda kept her voice calm, soft. “I’m sorry for every ounce of worry and pain I may have caused you, and I never want you to feel that again. But most of it has been because you won’t just communicate with me. I didn’t help Logan because of some  _deal,_ I helped him because I knew from the bottom of my heart it was the right thing to do. Plus, he’s my friend. And I get that you don’t want to be friends with me, which is _fine_ , but that doesn’t-“

Roman heard the slight crack in her voice, and Amanda paused to take a  deep breath. “…that doesn’t mean I’m a bad person. I know humans are scary and ‘bad’ in your world and I don’t care if we never interact again, but please don’t do anything rash. Don’t move. Don’t lash out at Logan. Please make sure he’s okay, and let me know if you ever need my help again. I’m always willing to give it; no deals needed.”

By the end of her little speech, Amanda had to rub at her eyes, looking away. Roman didn’t know how to respond.

\-------------------

“Sorry, I got a little sappy there.” Amanda gave an awkward laugh. She slowly got up, coming over to the shelf. “Um, hold still.”

Amanda placed her fingers down to steady Roman’s leg, and she was surprised to feel he didn’t even flinch. Amanda gave a tug, taking a few tries to take out the needle. Man, she really had jammed it in there, hadn’t she?

“Ah, here.” Amanda set it down, quickly getting out of the way in case Roman tried to stab her again.

“…thank you.” Roman said finally, having gone unusually quiet. He stood up, stretching out his sore muscles and returning his sword to his side. The borrower seemed to be moving at a leisurely pace, not scurrying out like Amanda would expect.

\--------------------

“Ah, I do feel the need to say something.” Roman coughed, and he looked almost embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I seem to made myself into quite a fool these past few days, but… I’m grateful that you didn’t do what I expected. I can’t thank you enough for saving my brother, and in return all I’ve done is stab you thrice.”

“Isn’t that three times?” Amanda tilted her head.

“I’m not sure, but I’ve lost count.” Roman gave his head a shake. “Regardless, I’m deeply sorry for causing you harm. I accept your apologies, and hope you will accept mine.”

“Thank you, Roman.” Amanda gave a small smile. “Apology accepted. Oh, and double apology for scaring you tonight.”

Roman cringed. “Doubly accepted.”

“You aren’t hurt then, are you?” Amanda checked. “Do you need anything before you go? An ice pack? A warm pack?”

“No, I’ll be alright.” Roman waved off her concerns. He took a step back. “Well, goodnight then.”

“Goodnight, Roman.” Amanda agreed, watching the borrower leave.

\-----------------------

Virgil glanced up, hearing the frantic footsteps out in the hall. He got up, heart pounding as he prepared for whatever danger may be out there. Virgil tensed, the door flung open as his older brother appeared.

“Roman? What is it, what’s- WOAH!” Virgil gave a noise of surprise, suddenly picked up off his feet and twirled around. 

“Oh, Virgil, you sweet sulking sunflower, I am ever so glad to see you!” Roman squeezed him harder, still twirling.

“You were gone for a couple hours!” Virgil protested, squirming slightly but a smile on his face. “Put me down!”

“Ooh, me next!” Patton exclaimed, rushing up to jump into Roman’s arms.

“Yes, of course, my dear Patton.” Roman caught him easily, twirling the giggling brother round. Roman set Patton down, watching as the borrower gave him a large grin and swayed on his feet. 

“Roman, are you alright?” A concerned Logan asked, slowly standing to his feet.

“Oh, yes, Logan.” Roman cried, giving his brother a deep hug. He gave a happy sigh, sinking into the embrace. “I’ve never been better.”


End file.
